the governing principles of ancient china volume 2《 … · 2018-04-30 · the governing...

The Governing Principles of Ancient China Volume 2—Based on 360 passages excerpted from the original compilation of Qunshu Zhiyao (The Compilation of Books and Writings on the Important Governing Principles).

First Edition, August 2014

Reprinting is allowed. No part of this book may be altered without written permission from the publisher. For the latest edition, please contact the publisher. Thank you.

PublisherChung Hua Cultural Education Centre (M) (857510K)1st - 4th Floor, Commercial Block,The Heritage, Jalan SB Dagang,43300 Seri Kembangan,Selangor Darul Ehsan, MalaysiaTel: +6 (03) 89427792/3/4/5Fax: +6 (03) 89382799Website: www.mchunghua.org

Table of Contents目錄

中國古代的治國原則The Governing Principles of Ancient China

前言 Preface .........................................................................i編譯組序 Qunshu Zhiyao 360 Editorial Notes ............... vi About Qunshu Zhiyao 360, Vol. 2 ...................................... ix

Chapter One君道 THE WAY OF A LEADER

修身 Character Building .................................................2 戒貪 Guard against greed .....................................2 勤儉 Be frugal and diligent ............................... 11 懲忿 Refrain from anger .................................... 14 遷善 Emulate good deeds ................................. 17 改過 Correcting our own mistakes .................. 19敦親 Be Respectful of Relatives .................................. 23反身 Self-Reflection ..................................................... 28尊賢 Be Respectful of Wise and Able Ministers ....... 46納諫 Be Receptive to Counsels from Ministers ........ 56杜讒邪 Be Averse to Slanderous and Malevolent Advice ................................................................... 74審斷 Be Perceptive and Astute .................................... 82

Chapter Two臣術 THE ART OF A MINISTER

立節 Uphold Integrity .................................................. 96盡忠 Serve with Utmost Loyalty ............................... 103勸諫 Presenting Counsels ......................................... 108舉賢 Nominating the Right Administrators ........... 113

Chapter Three貴德 ESTEEMING VIRTUES

尚道 Be Respectful of the Dao ..................................... 122孝悌 Filial Piety and Kinship ....................................... 143仁義 Benevolence and Righteousness ........................ 153誠信 Be Sincere and Trustworthy................................ 171正己 Righting Oneself .................................................. 180度量 Magnanimity ........................................................ 191謙虛 Humility ................................................................ 196謹慎 Be Discreet ............................................................ 208交友 Making Friends .................................................... 220學問 The Art of Learning ............................................. 226有恆 Perseverance ......................................................... 232處世 Conducting Oneself in Life ................................ 235

Chapter Four為政 ON THE SUBJECT OF ADMINISTRATION

務本 Engaging the Principles ....................................... 244知人 Good Judge of Character .................................... 267任使 Appointing Officials ............................................. 271至公 Paramount Impartiality ....................................... 287綱紀 The Basis of Principles ......................................... 289教化 Teach and Transform ........................................... 305禮樂 Propriety and Music ............................................ 349愛民 Caring about People ............................................ 368民生 The Livelihood of People ..................................... 380法古 Learn from the Past ............................................. 387賞罰 Reward and Punishment ..................................... 392法律 Law and Statute .................................................... 404征伐 Military Ethics ...................................................... 414

Chapter Five敬慎 RESPECTFULLY CAUTIOUS

微漸 Taking Precautions ............................................ 423風俗 Social Customs .................................................. 428治亂 Conquering Chaos ............................................ 434鑒戒 Heedful of Troubling Signs .............................. 441應事 Making Correct Response ................................ 456慎始終 Exercising Caution from the Beginning to the End ...................................................................... 466養生 Maintaining Good Health ................................ 471

Chapter Six明辨 DISCERNING

邪正 Good or Evil ....................................................... 476人情 Human Sentiments ........................................... 478才德 Talents and Virtues ........................................... 481朋黨 Formation of Cliques ........................................ 483辨物 Differences that Matter ..................................... 485因果 Cause and Effect ................................................ 496

Glossary ......................................................................... 503Bibliography ...................................................................... 514

i

Preface

At the beginning of the Zhenguan Era, Emperor Taizong (599–649) of the Tang dynasty decreed that Qunshu Zhiyao (The Compilation of Books and Writings on the Important Governing Principles) be compiled. At the tender age of sixteen, Taizong enlisted himself in the army, and joined his father’s forces to try to stop the turmoil that was going on in the society. For more than ten years, he dwelt himself in military matters. After he ascended to the throne at the age of twenty-seven, he laid down his armor and began to promote culture and education, paying particular attention to the principles of governing and bringing peace to the country. He sought to rejuvenate the nation from the aftermath of civil strife by restoring order to life, lessening the burdens of ordinary people, and increasing prosperity.

Although Taizong was an intelligent, brave, and eloquent man, he regretted that his earlier military expeditions had prevented him from obtaining much formal education. He also learned from the mistakes made by the fallen Sui

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dynasty and realized that to start a new dynasty was no easy task, and to sustain it would be even harder. Hence during his reign, he encouraged his ministers to point out his mistakes and to candidly criticize his imperial policies. To make up for lost time, Taizong ordered two advisors, the honorable Wei Zheng and Yu Shinan, to comb through all the historical records on imperial governing principles from the Six Classics, the Four Collections of History and the Hundreds of Schools1, and to extract the most important lessons related to the cultivation of oneself, management of family, good government, and ways to bring about peace in the world. The result was a collection, titled Qunshu Zhiyao, carefully excerpted from 14,000 books and 89,000 scrolls of ancient writings—500,000 words in all, and covering sixty-five book categories—dating from the era of the Five Legendary Emperors2 to the Jin dynasty3.

This truly is a treasured compilation on governing principles that can bring about peace and order, which “when used in the present, allows us to examine and learn from our ancient history; when passed down to our descendants, will help them learn valuable lessons in life.” Those were the words written by Advisor Wei Zheng in

1 The Six Classics are: Shi Jing 詩經 (Book of Odes), Shang Shu 尚書 (History of Antiquities), Yi Li 儀禮 (Etiquettes and Ceremonies), Yue Jing 樂經 (Book of Music), Yi Jing 易經 (Book of Changes), and Chun Qiu 春秋 (Spring and Autumn Annals). Si Shi 四史 (The Four Collections of History) are: Shi Ji 史記 (The Records of History), Han Shu 漢書 (The Book of Han), Hou Han Shu 後漢書 (The Book of Later Han), and San Guo Zhi 三國志 (Records of the Three Kingdoms). Zhuzi-Baijia 諸子百家 (The Hundreds of Schools) are schools of philosophies that sprang up during the Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods, circa 770–221 BC.

2 The Five Emperors of antiquity (circa 2600 BC) are: Emperor Huang 黃帝, Emperor Zhuanxu 顓頊, Emperor Diku 帝嚳, Emperor Yao 堯, and Emperor Shun 舜.

3 Jin dynasty (265–420)

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the preface of the completed compilation. Emperor Taizong was extremely pleased with the broad yet concise compilation and would not let the books out of his sight. He said: “The collection has helped me learn from the ancients. When confronted with issues, I am very certain of what to do. This is all due to your efforts, my advisors.” From here we can see that the subsequent peace and prosperity of the Zhenguan Era was attributed greatly to this compilation! This treasure is truly a must-read for all politicians.

However, by the beginning of the Song dynasty, Qunshu Zhiyao disappeared from circulation. This is due to the fact that Chinese woodblock printing was not well developed at that time. The History of Song also did not show any record of this compilation. Fortunately, the Japanese Kanazawa Bunko museum collection had a complete manuscript hand-copied by Japanese monks during the Kamakura period (1192–1330). The Japanese returned the books to China in the 60th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong, and they became the master copy for the Four Series Books published by the Commercial Press (Shanghai) as well as publications used by Taiwan.

At the end of 2010, I was fortunate to obtain a copy of Qunshu Zhiyao. I read the work repeatedly, and I was filled with immense joy that eternal stability and peace to the entire world can be brought about by the cultural teachings of our ancient saints and sages. I deeply feel this is so. The most important thing is that the Chinese people themselves must truly comprehend and embrace this traditional culture, to stop doubting and start believing. The teachings of the saints and sages constitute an embodiment of the true

iv Qunshu Zhiyao 360 Volume 2

self-nature of all beings that transcends time and space. Even now, they still hold true. The key learning point hinges on two words: “sincerity and respect.” The article “Summary of the Rules of Propriety” says: “Always and in everything let there be reverence.” Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty said: “When a ruler interacts with his people, the element of respect is fundamental.” He also said: “All the teachings that have been passed down through thousands of years is no more than sincerity and respect.” The prominent Song scholar Chengzi said: “Respect triumphs over all evils.” These sayings illuminate the fact that in order to cultivate ourselves, advance our virtues, help people, and benefit the world, only sincerity and respect can enable us to perfectly achieve these. If we lack respect and sincerity toward the teachings of ancient sages and virtuous emperors, little benefit will be gained even if we have read the ancient texts extensively. Confucius stressed that he only cited the teachings of others and created nothing of his own. He believed in and loved the teachings of the ancients.

The honorable Dr. Sun Yat Sen, in his speech on the Three Principles of the People (Principle of Nationalism, Fourth Lecture), said: “The advancement in science and material civilization in Europe only happened mostly in the last 200 years. But when it comes to the essence of political philosophy, Europeans still need to look to China for answers. Gentlemen, you all know that our world’s best scholars come from Germany. But today’s German scholars are studying Chinese philosophies as well as Buddhism from India to correct the bias in science.”

British historian Professor Arnold Toynbee asserted: “In order to resolve the social problems of the twenty-first

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century, we must rely on the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and on Mahayana Buddhism.” Look at the chaos and uncertainties that we face today. If we truly want to save the world and save China, only traditional Chinese cultural education will provide the answers we seek. The wisdom, the ideas, the methods, the experience, and the results of governing, which are all in Qunshu Zhiyao, are crystallized from thousands of years of trials and tribulations. They are indeed precious! If we can fully comprehend and apply these principles, world peace and individual bliss can be achieved naturally. If we do not follow these principles of governance, we will be inviting endless catastrophes and tragedies.

I realized that the reappearance of Qunshu Zhiyao indicates the sacred mission of this compilation. I am happy to print 10,000 copies, to be published by the World Book Company, to be given away to political parties and various leaders in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and around the world, for them to learn about the essence of governing. This way, a harmonious society and a peaceful world will not be far away. I am pleased to know that Qunshu Zhiyao will soon be circulated again in the near future. At the invitation of Ms. Yan Chu I wrote these few words to express my heartfelt praise for the realization of this project.

Chin KungDecember 28, 2010Hong Kong

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Qunshu Zhiyao 360 Editorial Notes

Qunshu Zhiyao, The Compilation of Books and Writings on the Important Governing Principles, is a compilation containing advice, methods, and historical notes on the successes and failures of the imperial government of China. This compilation takes us through thousands of years of Chinese political thinking, and offers us some valuable leadership principles which not only helped the great Tang Emperor Taizong to establish the glorious Reign of Zhenguan, but will also prove valid as points of reference for contemporary leaders. As for the general public, this compilation is a great source of inspiration for self-improvement, family management and human relations.

Our Centre’s advisor, Venerable Prof. Chin Kung, is mindful of the importance of passing on traditional Chinese culture. When he received a copy of the Qunshu Zhiyao at the end of 2010, he immediately commissioned the World Book Company to print the compilation for distribution, as he deeply believed that this compilation contains remedies that can cure today’s problems. In

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2011, when Prof. Chin Kung came to Malaysia and visited the Prime Minister, the honorable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Razak, and the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, he briefly introduced the contents of the book to them. Both leaders expressed their wish to see the English translation as soon as possible. Hence, Prof. Chin Kung came up with the idea of extracting 360 quotes from Qunshu Zhiyao and translating them into modern Chinese and other languages to facilitate easy daily reading. He entrusted the Chung Hua Cultural Education Centre with the task, and this marked the beginning of the Qunshu Zhiyao 360 project. Prof. Chin Kung hopes that over the course of the next ten years, 360 quotes will be selected each year from the compilation to be translated into different languages and distributed internationally. He believes that this is the biggest contribution toward peace that China can offer to the world.

Qunshu Zhiyao is made up of extracts from various classics, histories, and the works of the saints and sages. It consists of a total of sixty-six books compiled in fifty scrolls/volumes. This version of Qunshu Zhiyao 360 groups the contents of Qunshu into six chapters, namely: The Way of a Leader, The Art of a Minister, Esteeming Virtues, On the Subject of Administration, Respectfully Cautious, and Discerning. Each chapter is given sub-headings that substantiate the related key points. It is hoped that this series will enable readers to grasp the essence of Qunshu Zhiyao.

When the task of translating Qunshu Zhiyao 360 into English began, many kind individuals from Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States and Malaysia took time out of their busy schedules to help us complete this project. Without their generous contribution, this translation would not have been possible. Here, we would like to express our

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sincerest gratitude to all of them.

We continue to look forward to receiving your input as to how this abstract may be improved, especially in places where meanings might have been wrongly conveyed during the course of translation.

Last but not least, may all of you enjoy a blissful family life and career, and let us join our hands to bring PEACE to this world.

Sincerely,English Translation Group of Qunshu Zhiyao 360 August 2014

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About Qunshu Zhiyao 360, Vol. 2

Like its predecessor, this translation was done based on the Chinese annotations of Qunshu Zhiyao 360, Vol. 2, compiled by our associates at the Chung Hua Cultural Education Centre, in March 2013. Our learned colleagues have brought to our attention that there are in fact excerpts from sixty-six books instead of sixty-five as originally mentioned in Vol. 1 of this book series. Unlike Vol. 1, where Chinese annotations were omitted, we have included the Chinese annotations for bilingual readers who may want to know more about the source of our translation.

The original compilation of Qunshu Zhiyao was not meant only to collect excerpts from the original books, but more so on extracting important points that the editors Wei Zheng and his members thought were important for Emperor Taizong to observe. So some sentences from the original works could have been omitted from the compilation purposely by Wei Zheng. For readers who wish to understand further about the quotes, it is advisable to read the original texts from where the quotes were extracted.

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Conventions Used in this Edition

Junzi and “a man of noble character” are used simultane-ously in this translation to indicate the special connotation of Junzi in the Chinese world, which cannot simply be de-scribed by a single English term. Junzi embodies an ideally ethical and capable person, sometimes meaning a power holder, which is its original sense. The term is a compound word composed of two written characters, which separately means “ruler’s son.” Under the changing social conditions of the Warring States period, the concept of birthright was replaced by the notion of an “aristocracy of merit,” and in the Confucian school, the term Junzi came to denote an “ethical aristocrat,” or, “a man of noble character,” rather than a future king. The hallmark of the Junzi was his com-plete internalization of the virtue of ren (benevolence) and associated qualities such as yi (righteousness), li (propri-ety), zhi (wisdom) and xin (trustworthiness).

The term for “ruler” in the original Chinese is gender neutral. This book has chosen to use masculine pronouns and possessive pronouns, partly to enable the sentences to flow more smoothly, and partly to reflect the norms of ancient China where government was run mostly by men. No gender bias is intended here, particularly in view of the fact that today’s women have increasingly taken up important positions in government.

Italics: Indicates non-English word, book title, and transliterated Chinese terms.

Romanization system: This book uses the Hanyu Pinyin romanization system for transliterated names and terms. Exceptions for figures whose customary transliteration is

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more common than pinyin, like Sun Yat Sen, the founding father of the Republic China, or, whose English name is more familiar to Western readers, such as Confucius.

Names of emperors:

i. According to Shi Ji 史記 (The Records of History), the Five Emperors 五帝 (denoting much more reverential status than the modern term “Emperor”) are Emperor Huang 黃帝, Emperor Zhuanxu 顓頊, Emperor Diku 帝嚳, Emperor Yao 堯, and Emperor Shun 舜.

ii. From the Xia dynasty to the Qin dynasty (2100– 221BC), rulers usually held the title Wang 王, “King”. Example: King Cheng 成王, King Kang 康王, King Wen 文王 and King Wu 武王. With the division of China into separate Warring States, this title had become so common that the unifier of China, Qin Shi Huang 秦始皇 (the “First Emperor of Qin dynasty”), created a new title of Huangdi 皇帝 “Emperor”, thus claiming legendary status for himself. The title of Emperor of China continued to be used for the remainder of China’s imperial history, right down to the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912.

iii. Before the Tang dynasty: Use posthumous names, such as Emperor Wu of Han dynasty 漢武帝.

iv. Emperors of the Tang, Song, Liao and Jin (1115–1234) dynasties: Use temple names, such as Tang Taizong 唐太宗 (“Emperor Taizong of Tang dynasty.”)

v. Emperors of the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty: Use era names (same as reign names), such as Emperor Kangxi 康熙.

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Order of names:

i. Personal names in Chinese present the family/clan name first. For example, Lin Xiangru 藺相如, with “Lin” being the family name.

ii. In ancient China, the word zi 子 is given to one’s respected teacher after the teacher’s last name. In this case, zi will join the last name like, Zengzi 曾子, Mozi 墨子.

iii. Book titles named after the author: Last name and given name will be separated. For example, the book Mo Zi 墨子, was written by Mozi, founder of the Mohist School.

iv. Where a respectable title consists of two words, such as Tai Gong 太公, Qing Zi 卿子, the title will not be joined to the last name. Example: Jiang Tai Gong 姜太公 (The Grand Duke Jiang), Sun Qing Zi 孫卿子 (The Respectable Master Sun).

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一、修身

Character Building

甲、戒貪

Guard against greed

1、聖人守其所以有，不求其所未得。求其所未得，

則所有者亡矣；修其所有，則所欲者至矣。

（卷四十一　淮南子）

【白話】聖人安守自己本具的性德，而不貪求自己未

獲得的。貪求自己未獲得的，反而已擁有的會喪失掉

（因為貪求則無福，更有甚者會貪贓枉法，將福報折

盡）；如果修養自己本具的性德，想得到的就會自然

得到（因為性德具有無量的智慧德能福報）。

1. A sage abides in his innate virtues and does not crave for anything beyond that. If he craves for more, he will end up losing all his accumulated blessings. But if he continues with his cultivation of morality, he will naturally attain what he hopes to achieve.

Scroll 41: Huai Nan Zi

3

2、絕無益之欲，以奉德義之塗①；棄不急之務，以修

功業之基。其於名行，豈不善哉？

（卷二十八　吳志下）

【註釋】①塗：同「途」，引申指途徑，門路。

【白話】斷絕無益的欲望，來遵循道德仁義之路；

放棄無關緊要的事情，來修習建功立業的根基。這對

自己的名聲與品行，難道不是很有益的嗎？

2. Eliminate detrimental desires so that one can pursue the path of righteousness; give up unimportant endeavors so that one can be better prepared for future undertakings. Is this not a useful way of carving out a reputation and moral character for ourselves?

Scroll 28: Wu Zhi, Vol. 2

Guard against greed


3、福生於無為，而患生於多欲。故知足，然後富從

之；德宜君人，然後貴從之。故貴爵而賤德者，雖為

天子不貴矣；貪物而不知止者，雖有天下不富矣。

（卷八　韓詩外傳）

【白話】幸福產生於內心知足而無所外求，而憂患產

生於人的欲望過多。所以一個人知道滿足，然後富裕

會隨著到來；德行適合領導民眾，然後尊貴就會隨之

而來。所以看重爵位而輕視德行的人，雖然做了天子

也並不高貴；貪求財物而不知休止的人，雖然擁有天

下也並不富足。

3. Contentment breeds happiness, but excessive cravings breed misery. While a contented person may enjoy wealth eventually, a virtuous leadership brings forth nobility. Hence, a person who craves for titles of nobility but disregards moral integrity cannot be deemed a man of honor despite becoming a ruler; and a person with endless cravings for wealth will never be contented despite owning the whole world.

Scroll 8: Han Shi Wai Zhuan

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4、有以欲多亡者，未有以無欲危者也；有以欲治而

亂者，未有以守常①失者也。


【註釋】①常：常規，常道。

【白話】有因為欲望太多而滅亡的，沒有因為無欲而

陷入危險的；有因為想要治理卻混亂的，沒有因為遵

循常道卻失敗的。

4. While some have ruined themselves due to endless desires, no one has ever courted danger because they do not have cravings. While some have tried to run a good government but ended up in chaos, no one has ever failed to be a good ruler because they followed the righteous path.


Guard against greed


5、三代①之興，無不抑損情欲；三季②之衰，無不肆

其侈靡。

(卷二十九　晉書上)

【註釋】①三代：指夏、商、周。②三季：指夏、

商、周三代的末期。

【白話】夏、商、周三代之所以興盛，無不是因為領

導者對自己的七情五欲加以節制；三代末期的衰敗，

無不因肆意奢侈浪費。

5. The Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties enjoyed reigns of prosperity because the rulers exercised a strict restraint over their cravings and desires. The consequential downfall of the three dynasties was due to unrestrained spending and excessive luxuriating.

Scroll 29: Jin Shu, Vol. 1

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6、日月欲明，浮雲蓋之；河水欲清，沙石穢①之；

人性欲平，嗜欲害之。夫縱欲而失性，動未嘗正也，

以治身則失，以治國則敗。


【註釋】①穢：污染，玷污。

【白話】日月本欲明亮，卻有浮雲遮蔽它；河水本欲

清澈，卻有沙石污染它；人性本欲寧靜，卻有嗜欲妨

害它。如果放縱欲望而喪失了本性，那麼行動就沒有

正確的時候，以這種心態修身則自身會陷入危殆，以

這種心態治國則會使國家衰敗。

6. The sun and the moon would always shine brightly, but the clouds enveloped them; the water in the river would always be as clear as crystal, but the sand and stones polluted them. Humans by nature would always want to have inner calmness, but desires and cravings tainted their minds. If one is in pursuit of endless cravings, he might lose his conscience and commit acts of misdeeds. This would cause him serious consequences, and if he is the ruler of a country the whole nation would be at stake.


Guard against greed


7、天下之愚，莫過於斯，知貪前之利，不睹其後之

患也。

（卷十二　吳越春秋）

【白話】天下沒有比這更愚蠢的了，只貪圖眼前的利

益，而看不到身後的禍患。

7. Of all the foolishness in the world none can be worse than an inability to see the dire consequences trailing behind immediate gains.

Scroll 12: Wu Yue Chun Qiu

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8、今人之所以犯囹圄①之罪，而陷於刑戮②之患者，

由嗜欲無厭③，不修度量④之故也。


【註釋】①囹圄：音líng yǔ／ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄩˇ。監獄。

②刑戮：受刑罰或被處死。③厭：滿足。④度量：法

度。

【白話】人們之所以犯監禁之罪，而遭刑罰、殺戮之

禍，是因為其嗜欲沒有止境，（心靈墮落）而不以法

度自我要求的緣故。

8. People become criminals and face imprisonment or execution because they could not restrain their endless desires and exercise self-discipline.


Guard against greed


9、夫物暴長①者必夭折，功②卒成者必亟壞。

（卷二十二　後漢書二）

【註釋】①暴長：急遽生長。②卒：突然。後多作

「猝」。

【白話】任何東西迅猛生長必然會夭折，功業倉促而

成必然會很快衰敗。

9. Anything that grows rapidly will come to a premature end. Any achievement that is hastily gained over a short period of time will soon wane away.

Scroll 22: Hou Han Shu, Vol. 2

11

乙、勤儉

Be frugal and diligent

10、儉，德之恭①也；侈，惡之大也。

（卷二十九　晉書上）

【註釋】①恭：通「洪」。大。

【白話】節儉是偉大的美德，奢侈是嚴重的惡行

（因為節儉可培養愛敬之心，奢侈則產生很大後患）。

10. Frugality is a great virtue; extravagance is a great misdeed.




11、古言非典義，學士不以經心；事非田桑，農夫不

以亂業；器非時用，工人不以措手；物非世資，商賈

不以適市。士思其訓，農思其務，工思其用，賈思其

常。是以上用足而下不匱。

（卷四十九　傅子）

【白話】古時，言談不符合經典義理的，學士不會留

心；不是耕田養蠶之事，農夫不因之而擾亂本業；器

具不適宜當時使用的，工人就不動手去做它；物品不

是社會需要的，商人不把它運到市場。士人想著聖賢

的訓誨，農民想著務農，工人想著器物的實用，商人

想著經營常用的物品。因此，在上者用度充足，百姓

的需要也不缺乏。

11. In ancient times, scholars would ignore talks that were irrelevant to classical learning; farmers would not disrupt their chores for matters that were unrelated to farming; craftsmen would not produce utensils that were irrelevant for the seasons; and merchants would not supply things that had no demand in the market. Scholars were mindful of the teachings of the sages; farmers were mindful of

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farming; craftsmen were mindful of the practicality of the utensils; and merchants were mindful of the supply and demand of daily necessities. Hence, the supply of goods for men in high positions remained sufficient and the daily needs of the general public were met.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



丙、懲忿

Refrain from anger

12、損。君子以懲忿窒欲。可損之善，莫善損忿欲。

（卷一　周易）

【白話】君子看到損卦，就知道應當善於掌控自己的

憤怒，克制自己的欲望。

12. The oracle of Sun 損1 implies “decrease”. When a man of noble character (Junzi) notices the Sun oracle, he understands that he should control his anger and restrain his desires.

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

1 The hexagram Sun 損

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13、秦始皇之無道，豈不甚哉？視殺人如殺狗彘①。

狗彘，仁人用之猶有節。始皇之殺人，觸情②而已，

其不以道如是。而李斯又深刑③峻法，隨其指而妄殺

人。秦不二世而滅，李斯無遺類④。


【註釋】①彘：音zhì／ㄓ ˋ。豬。②觸情：觸發

情緒。③深刑：嚴刑。④遺類：指殘存者。

【白話】秦始皇殘暴無道，豈不是太嚴重了嗎？看待

殺人如同殺豬狗。豬狗，仁人使用牠們尚且有節制。

始皇殺人，只是因觸怒了自己而已，他不按道義行事

達到了如此程度。李斯又進一步施行嚴刑峻法，按自

己意圖胡亂殺人。結果秦朝不滿兩代就亡國，李斯也

全族絕滅。

13. Had not the inhuman brutality of Emperor Qin Shi Huang gone to the extremes? To him, killing human beings was like slaughtering domestic animals. Any person with a conscience would only slaughter domestic animals sparingly. Emperor Qin put people to death simply because

Refrain from anger


he was agitated by them and had no regrets about his acts of cruelty. To make matters worse, his Prime Minister, Li Si, imposed laws with harsh punishments and killed anyone who opposed him. Consequently, the Qin dynasty reigned for less than two generations and Li Si was executed together with his whole clan.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi

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丁、遷善

Emulate good deeds

14、子曰：「見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內自省也。」

（卷九　論語）

【白話】孔子說：「看見賢人，便應當想著向他看

齊；看見不賢的人，便應當自我反省（是否有和他類

似的情形）。」

14. Confucius said: “When we see men of worth, we should try to emulate them; when we see people lacking in morality, we should reflect and ask ourselves whether we have anything in common with them.”

Scroll 9: Lun Yu

Emulate good deeds


15、太上樂善，其次安之，其下亦能自強也。

（卷三十五　曾子）

【白話】人最高的境界是樂於為善，其次是習慣

為善，其下是能夠勉勵自己努力為善。

15. It is considered the highest form of virtues when one enjoys doing kind deeds; less so if kind deeds are done habitually; lesser still when one encourages oneself to do kind deeds.

Scroll 35: Zeng Zi

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戊、改過

Correcting our own mistakes

16、益。君子以見善則遷，有過則改矣。從善改過，益莫大焉。


【白話】君子看到益卦，就知道見到別人的善言善行

就應該努力效仿，有過錯就要立即改正。

16. The oracle of Yi 益2 implies “increase”. When a man of noble character (Junzi) notices the Yi oracle, he understands that if he discovers the good points in others he should strive to emulate them. If he makes a mistake, he should rectify it instantly.

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

2 The hexagram Yi 益



17、人誰無過？過而能改，善莫大焉。

（卷五　春秋左氏傳中）

【白話】哪個人沒有犯過錯誤？犯了過錯能改正，

沒有比這更大的善行了。

17. To err is human. There is nothing greater than the initiative to mend one’s fault after committing it.

Scroll 5: Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan, Vol. 2

21

18、太上不生惡，其次生而能夙絕之，其下復而能

改。


【白話】人最高的境界是沒有惡念，其次是有了過錯

能早早地斷絕，其下是錯誤復犯後終能改過。

18. The highest state of mind is to have no evil thoughts; less so is when a mistake is corrected soon after it is made; lesser still is when a frequently committed mistake could be eventually corrected.

Scroll 35: Zeng Zi



19、子曰：「君子不重則不威，學則不固。主忠信，

無友不如己者。過則勿憚改。」主，親也。憚，難也。


【白話】孔子說：「君子內心和外表不莊重，便沒有

威儀，學問都不堅固。親近忠信之人（以他們為師），

不和與自己志不同道不合的人交朋友。有了過失，不

要怕改正。」

19. Confucius said: “If a man of noble character (Junzi) does not discipline his mind and dignify his demeanor, he will not only lose the respect of others but will also lack a firm footing in his studies. So he should befriend trustworthy people and avoid the company of those who are incompatible with his ideals. When he makes a mistake, he should have the courage to rectify it.”

Scroll 9: Lun Yu

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二、敦親

Be Respectful of Relatives

20、刑①于寡妻②，至于兄弟，以御③于家邦。刑，法也。

寡妻，寡有之妻，言賢也。御，治也。文王以禮法接待其妻，至于其宗族，以此又能為

政，治於家邦。

（卷三　毛詩）

【註釋】①刑：法。指以禮法相待（依鄭玄箋註）。

②寡妻：嫡妻。③御：治理。

【白話】修養德行首先給自己的妻子做個好榜樣，處

處以禮法相待，由此擴展到作為兄弟們的表率，進而

就可以用來治理一家一國了。

20. In cultivating virtues, a man should first set a good example in his relationship with his wife, treating her courteously at all times. He then extends this manner further to become a role model to his brothers and sisters, and applies the same principles further to govern a country.

Scroll 3: Mao Shi



21、君之於世子也，親則父也，尊則君也。有父之

親，有君之尊，然後兼天下而有之。

（卷七　禮記）

【白話】君王對於世子，從親疏關係而言是父親，從

尊卑關係而言則為君王。君王對於全國民眾既具有父

親的親愛，又具有君王的尊嚴，然後才能君臨天下、

擁有百姓。

21. A king is related to a crown prince as father-and-son, but according to the royal hierarchy relationship, they should be classified as a king and his subject. A king should care for his people as dearly as a father to his children, and uphold his sovereignty before he could run his administration well and gain the full support of his people.

Scroll 7: Li Ji

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22、《傳》曰：「周之同盟①，異姓為後。」誠骨肉

之恩，爽②而不離。親親③之義，寔④在敦固。未有義

而後其君，仁而遺其親者也。

（卷二十六　魏志下)

【註釋】①同盟：《左傳‧隱公十一年》及《三國

志•陳思王植傳》通行本均作「宗盟」。宗盟，指天

子與諸侯的盟會。②爽：差失；不合。③親親：親愛

親屬。④寔：同「實」。確實，實在。

【白話】《左傳》上說：「周朝天子與諸侯盟會，異

姓諸侯排列在後。」實在是因為骨肉之間恩情深厚，

即使有過失也不會離棄。親愛親屬的道理，確實應當

敦厚堅貞。未曾有忠義的臣子會怠慢君主，也未曾有

仁德之人會遺棄自己的親人。

22. The book of Zuo Zhuan said: “When the Zhou emperors held counsels to form alliances with the patrimonial lords, members outside the Zhou clans were seated at the back.” Indeed the deep-rooted affections among relatives would always be prioritized and this close relationship



would still be maintained despite disputes. Family ties should be genuine and faithful. Never had faithful and honorable subordinates neglected their leaders, or benevolent individuals abandoned their relatives.

Scroll 26: Wei Zhi, Vol. 2

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23、君子篤於親，則民興於仁；故舊不遺，則民不偷①。興，起也。能厚於親屬，不遺忘其故舊，行之美者也，則皆化之，起為仁厚之行，不偷

薄。


【註釋】①偷：澆薄；不厚道。

【白話】在位的君子，若能厚待他的父母兄弟，民眾

就會興起仁愛之風；不遺棄他的舊友故交，民眾就不

會對人冷淡無情。

23. When people holding high positions could show filial piety to their parents and care for their siblings, this examplary role model would evoke compassion in others. So, by not deserting old friends, everyone would become caring toward each other.

Scroll 9: Lun Yu



三、反身

Self-Reflection

24、孔子曰：「人能弘道，非道弘人也。」故治亂廢

興在於己，非天降命不可得反也。

（卷十七　漢書五）

【白話】孔子說：「人能光大道義，不是道義去光大

人。」所以國家的安定與動亂、興盛與衰亡，都決定

於君主自己，而並非天命不可挽回。

24. Confucius said: “While a man could enhance the Great Way, the Great Way could not enhance him.” Hence, a ruler is the decisive factor that will determine whether peace or disorder can prevail in a country, and it is not a fate that cannot be changed.

Scroll 17: Han Shu, Vol. 5

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25、子路問君子。子曰：「修己以敬。」敬其身也。

曰：「如斯而已乎？」曰：「修己以安百姓。修己以

安百姓，堯、舜其猶病①諸②！」病，猶難也。


【註釋】①病：難，不易。②諸：「之乎」二字的合

音字。

【白話】子路問怎樣才算君子。孔子說：「以敬來修

治自己，使身心言語統歸於敬，處處合禮，這就可以

算是君子了。」子路又問：「這樣就夠了嗎？」孔子

說：「修治自己來讓百姓得到安樂。修治自己進而令

百姓得以安樂，這件事就是連堯、舜那樣的聖君，恐

怕也難做得周到呀！」

25. Zilu asked Confucius what constituted a man of noble character (Junzi). Confucius said: “By cultivating respectfulness in all our speech and actions, we can be deemed a man of noble character.”

“And is that all?” asked Zilu.

Confucius replied: “He cultivates himself so he could bring

Self-Reflection


peace and happiness to the people. Cultivating oneself to bring peace and happiness to the people is something that even emperors Yao and Shun found difficult to accomplish.”

Scroll 9: Lun Yu

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26、主者國之心也，心治①則百節②皆安，心擾則百節

皆亂。治猶理也。節猶事也。以體喻也。


【註釋】①治：指心緒安寧平靜。②節：骨節。人身

骨骼聯接的部分。

【白話】君主好比是國家的心臟，心安則全身都會安

定，心亂則全身都會紊亂。

26. A ruler is like the heart of a nation. Thus, when the heart is at ease the whole body will function properly, but when the heart is uneasy, all the bodily functions will be disrupted.


Self-Reflection


27、故天下不正，修之國家；國家不正，修之朝廷；

朝廷不正，修之左右；左右不正，修之身；身不正，

修之心。所修彌①近，而所濟彌遠。禹②、湯③罪④

己，其興也勃焉，正心之謂也。


【註釋】①彌：更加，愈發。②禹：姒姓，名文命，

鯀之子。又稱大禹、夏禹、戎禹。後被選為舜的繼承

人，舜死後即位，建立夏代。③湯：契的後代，子

姓，名履，又稱天乙。商開國之君。④罪：歸罪於。

【白話】所以，天下不正就要整治國家，國家不正就

要整治朝廷，朝廷不正就要整治身邊的臣子，臣子不

正就要加強自身的智慧德能，自身不正就首先要調整

自己的思想。所整治的愈切近，所成就的愈遠大。夏

禹、商湯常常檢討自己的錯誤，國家的興盛就很快，

這是調整自己思想的結果。

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27. When unhealthy social trends are rampant, a ruler should work on transforming the nation. When the country is declining, a ruler should work on transforming the ruling administration. When the ruling administration is inefficient, a ruler should reshuffle his administration and substitute incompetent ministers with capable ones. If the ministers are corrupted, a ruler should rely on his wisdom and morality. To be an efficient administrator, the ruler should first regulate his mindset and mentality. So, the closer he arrives at the core of the problems, the better accomplishments he would attain. King Yu of the Xia dynasty and King Tang of the Shang dynasty used to reflect and correct their inadequacies, and thus the two dynasties flourished swiftly and enjoyed reigns of prosperity as a result of the regulation of the right mindset.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi

Self-Reflection


28、唯不推心①以況②人，故視用人如用草芥。使用

人如用己，惡③有不得其性者乎？古之達④治者，知

心為萬事主，動而無節則亂，故先正其心。其心正於

內，而後動靜不妄，以率先天下，而後天下履正⑤，

而咸保其性也。斯遠乎哉？求之心而已矣！


【註釋】①推心：以誠相待。②況：比，引申為推

及；推測。③惡：音wū／ㄨ。相當於「何」、「怎

麼」。④達：通曉；明白。⑤履正：躬行正道。

【白話】正是沒有推己及人去體諒他人，所以看待用

人如用草芥。如果任用別人就像任用自己，（如此感

同身受）怎麼會不了解人民的性情（順應民心而治）

呢？古代能通達治國之道者，明白心是萬事的主宰，

行為無節制，就會使國家動亂，所以首先端正自己的

思想心態。假如思想心態端正，無論動還是靜，都不

會胡作非為，自己做天下人的表率，天下人就會踐行

正道，從而皆能保有其良善的本性。這些要求遙遠

嗎？不過是求之於自心而已呀！

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28. If a person shows no sense of empathy, he would treat others like dirt. If he treats others the way he treats himself, there is no reason why he would not make the populace feel at ease. Ancient wise rulers were well aware that the mindset plays a key role in all matters, and that unrestrained behaviors would bring instability to the country. Therefore every ruler should first regulate his mindset and adopt the right mentality in everything he does. By exemplifying an ideal role model, the people would emulate his virtues and thus revert to their innate kindness. Are these requirements unapproachable, as they are all about regulating the mindset?

Scroll 49: Fu Zi

Self-Reflection


29、故上老老①而民興孝，上長長而民興悌，上恤孤

而民不背。所惡於上，無以使下；所惡於下，毋以事

上。


【註釋】①老老：以敬老之道侍奉老人。

【白話】所以在上位的人能尊敬老年人，那麼百姓的

孝敬之風就能興起；在上位的人能敬事長者，那麼百

姓的愛敬之風就能興起；在上位的人能體恤孤苦無依

的人，那麼百姓之間就不會相互背棄。不喜歡上司對

自己的一些做法，就不要這樣去對待下屬；不喜歡下

屬的一些行為表現，自己就不要以同樣的方式來對待

上級。

29. If a ruler could show respect to the elderly, the people will emulate his virtues by observing and promoting filial piety. If a ruler could show respect to his seniors, the people will emulate his virtues and learn to be caring. If he helps the weak and needy with compassion, the people will not forsake each other. If we dislike the manner our seniors

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treat us, we should not do the same to our subordinates. If we dislike the manner our subordinates treat us, we should not do the same to our seniors.

Scroll 7: Li Ji

Self-Reflection


30、堯舜率天下以仁，而民從之；桀紂率天下以暴，

而民從之。


【白話】堯王、舜王以「仁」領導天下，百姓就跟著

他行仁；夏桀、商紂以暴戾橫行天下，百姓就跟著他

做壞事。

30. Through the benevolent reigns of emperors Yao and Shun, the people emulated their virtues and grew compassionate. When kings Jie and Zhou ruled with brutality, the people emulated their corrupted ways and grew violent and immoral.

Scroll 7: Li Ji

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31、夫上之所為，民之歸①也。上所不為，而民或為

之，是以加刑罰焉，而莫敢不懲。若上之所為，而民

亦為之，乃其所也，又可禁乎？


【註釋】①歸：趨向，歸附。

【白話】上位者的所作所為，百姓會趨向效法。上位

者所不做的事，而百姓有人做了，因此加以懲罰處

分，就沒有誰還敢不加以警戒。若上位者所做的，

百姓也有人做了，這乃是勢所必然的，又怎能禁止得

了呢？

31. The people would naturally observe and emulate the conduct of those in higher authority. If the people do things that the authorities forbid, they will be penalized and everyone will heed this as a warning. But if members of the public are found guilty of violating the same law that the authorities used to defy, are the offenders punishable by law, as they are only trying to do what their authorities are doing?


Self-Reflection


32、孔子曰：「人而不仁，疾之以甚，亂也。」故民

亂反之政，政亂反之身。身正而天下定。是以君子嘉

善①而矜不能，恩及刑人，德潤窮夫②。施惠悅爾，

行刑不樂也。

（卷四十二　鹽鐵論）

【註釋】①嘉善：讚美善人。②窮夫：鄙賤之人。

【白話】孔子說：「對待不仁的人，憎惡得太過分，

那就必然立即作亂了。」因此，下民亂了，要從朝政

上反省原因；朝政亂了，要從執政者自身反省原因。

自身思想觀念、行動舉措都正確了，天下自然安定。

所以，君子能夠讚美善良的人，又能夠同情那些不能

為善的人，對受刑的人給予恩惠，對鄙賤之人也施與

恩德。在施與恩惠時內心滿懷喜悅，而在不得已需要

執行刑罰時就會感到難過。

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32. Confucius said: “To carry your dislike of an immoral man to the extreme will push him to rebel instantly.” Thus when there is a civilian rebellion, the government should reflect upon its administrative policies, and the head of government should reflect on his shortcomings that led to the failing of the administration. When the conduct and policies of a leader are properly regulated, there will be peace and stability in the country. Therefore, a man of noble character (Junzi) would compliment kind people while empathizing with those who refrain from doing kind deeds, besides giving counseling to prisoners and helping the needy. He is overjoyed when given an opportunity to serve, but would be deeply saddened if he has no alternative but to carry out punishments.

Scroll 42: Yan Tie Lun

Self-Reflection


33、是以天萬物之覆①，君萬物之燾②也。懷生③之

類，有不浸潤於澤者，天以為負；員首④之民，有不

霑濡⑤於惠者，君以為恥。

（卷四十七　政要論）

【註釋】①覆：保護；庇護。②燾：音dào／ㄉㄠ

ˋ。覆蓋，引申為庇蔭。③懷生：指有生命之物。④

員首：指百姓。⑤霑濡：浸濕。指蒙受恩澤。

【白話】因此，上天是萬物的庇護者，君主是萬物的

保護者。凡是生靈，只要有一個沒有得到滋潤，上天

就會覺得有所虧欠；百姓之中，只要有一人沒有得到

君王的恩惠，君主就會覺得這是恥辱。

33. Heaven is the guardian of all things while the ruler is the protector of all things. If a sentient being is deprived of heaven’s bounties, heaven would deem this as an inadequacy. If a civilian is deprived of the ruler’s bounties, this is deemed a disgrace in the eyes of the ruler.

Scroll 47: Zheng Yao Lun

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34、《象》曰：山上有水，蹇①。君子以反身②修德。除難莫若反身修德也。《彖》曰：蹇，難也，險在前也。見險

而能止，智矣哉！


【註釋】①蹇：音jiǎn／ㄐㄧㄢˇ。跋行艱難。②反

身：反求自身。

【白話】《象傳》說：山上流水跌宕曲折而下，行動

艱難，這是蹇卦的象徵。君子看到此卦，就想到在困

難之時應該反省自身，修養自身德行。《彖傳》說：

蹇卦，象徵著艱難，就是前面有危險的意思。看到險

情能夠停止，這是明智之舉啊！

34. According to the book of Xiang Zhuan, the oracle of Jian 蹇 symbolized water on the mountain flows in sweeping meanders down steep, inaccessible mountains, making our journey extremely difficult. When a man of noble character (Junzi) reads this he should turn his attention to himself and cultivate his character. The book of Tuan Zhuan said:

Self-Reflection


“The oracle of Jian 蹇3, implies obstructions, dangers ahead. In such a situation it is wise to take a break in view of the danger.”

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

3 The hexagram Jian 蹇

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35、修己而不責人，則免於難。

（卷四　春秋左氏傳上）

【白話】修養自己的德行，而不去責難別人，就會免

於遭受禍難。

35. We should cultivate our own character instead of putting the blame on others. In this way we can keep misfortunes at bay.


Self-Reflection


四、尊賢

Be Respectful of Wise and Able Ministers

36、仁人也者，國之寶也；智士也者，國之器也；

博通①之士也者，國之尊也。故國有仁人，則群臣不

爭；國有智士，則無四鄰諸侯之患；國有博通之士，

則人主尊。

（卷四十二　新序）

【註釋】①博通：廣泛地通曉；了解各種事理與知

識。

【白話】有仁德的人是國家的珍寶；有才智的人是國

家的重器；博通的人是國家所尊貴的。因此，國中有

仁者，那麼群臣就不會爭權奪利；國家有智士，那麼

國家就沒有四鄰諸侯侵擾的擔憂；國家有博通的人，

那麼國君就會受到尊崇。

36. A benevolent person is esteemed as a national treasure; a wise person is esteemed as a national asset; a learned scholar is esteemed as a national nobility. Thus, the presence of benevolent people will prevent power struggles among ministers; the presence of wise people will solve problems relating to possible invasions by neighboring countries;

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and the presence of learned scholars will educate the public about showing the highest respect to the ruler.

Scroll 42: Xin Xu



37、尊聖者王；貴賢者霸；敬賢者存；嫚①賢者亡。

古今一也。

（卷三十八　孫卿子）

【註釋】①嫚：褻瀆，輕侮。

【白話】尊重聖人的君主會稱王於天下；重視賢人的

君主會稱霸於諸侯；恭敬賢人的君主，國家會存在；

怠慢賢人的君主，國家就會滅亡。從古到今都是一

樣。

37. A ruler who revered men of virtues would reign over the world; a ruler who attached great importance to men of virtues would be the leader of the lords; a ruler who honored men of virtues would preserve his country, while a ruler who neglected men of virtues would drive his country to destruction. This has been true since the ancient era.

Scroll 38: Sun Qing Zi

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38、夫善人在上，則國無幸民。諺曰：「民之多幸，

國之不幸。」是無善人之謂也！


【白話】有德行的人處於上位，國中就沒有心存僥倖

的人。俗話說：「如果百姓多存僥倖心理，那將是國

家之不幸。」說的就是沒有有德之人在上位執政啊！

38. With virtuous people holding high positions in the government, no one would leave things to chance. An idiom said: “When the people leave things to chance, misfortune would befall the nation,” indicating a situation where no able and virtuous people are serving in the top administration.




39、無善人則國從之。從亡也。《詩》曰：「人之云①

亡，邦國殄瘁②。」無善人之謂也。故《夏書》曰：

「與其殺不辜，寧失不經③。」懼失善也。逸書也。不經，

不用常法。


【註釋】①云：句中助詞，無義。②殄瘁：同義詞連

用，指困窮，困苦。③經：常法。

【白話】沒有賢人，國家就會隨之衰敗。《詩經》

說：「賢人不在了，國家就遭禍殃。」這是由於失去

賢人的緣故。所以《夏書》說：「與其錯殺無辜，寧

可失之於不用常法。」就是害怕失去賢人。

39. Without the service of able and virtuous people, a country will soon decline. The book of Shi Jing said: “In the absence of the able and virtuous, the country will soon be overcome by misfortunes.” Hence, the book of Xia Shu said: “Being blamed for not following normal procedures is far better than to execute innocent people by mistake.” This indicates that ancient rulers were extremely con-cerned about losing people of virtues.


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40、故王者勞於求賢，逸於得人。舜舉眾賢在位，垂

衣裳，恭己無為，而天下治。


【白話】當君主的人尋求賢才是辛勞的，得到了賢才

就輕鬆了。大舜舉用了很多賢能的人，使他們各得其

位，自己垂衣正身，恭謹律己，凡事不用親為，就使

得天下太平。

40. A ruler labors to find good people, but once they are found he can relax and enjoy a reign of prosperity. Emperor Shun assigned many wise and able men to the right tasks, and so all he did was to uphold his sovereignty and there was a reign of peace.

Scroll 42: Xin Xu



41、古者明王之求賢也，不避遠近，不論貴賤，卑爵

以下賢①，輕身②以先士。

（卷三十六　尸子）

【註釋】①下賢：屈己以尊賢。②輕身：謙卑降低身

分，不自恃。

【白話】古代明智的君王為國家尋求賢良人才，不論

關係親疏，不管地位尊卑，都會放下自己的爵位來迎

接賢良人才，降低自己的身分來善待有德士人。

41. The wise rulers of the past would seek virtuous people to serve the country. Irrespective of whether his relations with them were close or distant, or whether their social status was low or noble, he would humble himself and regard them as distinguished people who would lead the country toward success.

Scroll 36: Shi Zi

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42、今君之位尊矣，待天下之賢士，勿臣而友之，則

君以得天下矣。

（卷三十一　六韜）

【白話】如今君主的地位尊崇，若對待天下的賢士，

不把他們當作臣下，而以朋友相待，那麼君主就可以

得到天下了。

42. “Today, Your Lordship has attained supreme status, and if you can treat worthy individuals as close friends rather than subordinates, you will eventually rule over the world.”

Scroll 31: Liu Tao



43、周公攝①天子位七年，布衣②之士，執贄③而所

師見者十人，所友見者十二人，窮巷白屋④所先見者

四十九人，進善者百人，教士者千人，官⑤朝⑥者萬

人。當此之時，誠使⑦周公驕而且吝，則天下賢士至

者寡矣。

（卷四十三　說苑）

【註釋】①攝：代理。②布衣：借指平民。古代平

民不能衣錦繡，故稱。③贄：初次見人時所執的禮

物。古代禮制，謁見人時攜禮物相贈。④窮巷白屋：

窮巷，冷僻簡陋的小巷。白屋，指平民或寒士的住

所。⑤官：授給某人官職；使為官。⑥朝：拜訪。⑦

誠使：假使。

【白話】周公代理天子執政七年（非常禮賢下士，同

時不吝分享智慧經驗及培養人才），未做官的讀書人

中，他帶著禮物以尊師之禮拜見的有十人，以朋友之

禮會見的有十二人，優先接見的窮巷陋屋中的貧寒之

士有四十九人，隨時向自己提供善言的有上百人，受

到他教導的讀書人有上千人，被選拔在官府朝廷服

務的有上萬人。在那時，假使周公對人驕傲而且吝

55

嗇，那麼天下的賢士來見他的就很少了。

43. For seven years the Duke of Zhou acted as the regent. During that time, he brought gifts as a token of first visit to ten civilian scholars in the capacity of a student paying respect to his teachers; met twelve people as friends, and gave priority to meetings with forty-nine humble scholars in their meager dwellings. About a hundred people were ready to offer him advice anytime; more than a thousand students came under his tutorship; and tens of thousands of officials were personally selected by him to serve in the government. Worthy men from all over the kingdom would not have served under him if he was arrogant and mean.

Scroll 43: Shuo Yuan



五、納諫

Be Receptive to Counsels from Ministers

44、為人君之務，在於決壅①；決壅之務，在於進

下；進下之道，在於博聽；博聽之義，無貴賤同異，

隸豎牧圉②，皆得達焉。


【註釋】①決壅：消除壅蔽。②隸豎牧圉：指奴役、

童僕、放牧、養馬的人。圉，音yǔ／ㄩˇ。

【白話】做君主的關鍵，在於能夠去除蒙蔽；去除蒙

蔽的關鍵，在於能夠讓下屬進諫；讓下屬進諫的方

法，在於廣泛地聽取各種意見；廣泛地聽取意見，就

是要能夠做到無視下屬的高低貴賤，即使是奴役、童

僕、放牧、養馬的人，也要能夠讓他們的意見傳達進

來。

44. The key to success of a leader lies in the fact that the bare truth should never be concealed from him. Thus, he must allow his subordinates to remonstrate with him and be keen to accept a wide variety of counsels and suggestions, irrespective of whether they came from the nobles or the lowly. Be they servants, houseboys, herdsmen or stablemen, everyone must be allowed to express their views.


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45、欲知平直，則必準繩①；欲知方圓，則必規矩②；

人主欲自知，則必直士。唯直士能正言。

（卷三十九　呂氏春秋）

【註釋】①準繩：測定物體平直的器具。準，測平面

的水準器；繩，量直度的墨線。②規矩：規和矩。校

正圓形和方形的兩種工具。

【白話】想要知道物體是否平直，就一定要依靠水準

器和墨繩；想知道是否方圓，就一定要依靠圓規和

矩尺；君主想知道自己的過失，就一定要依靠直言之

士。

45. If you need to determine perpendicularity, you should use a plumb rule with a plumb line. If you need to determine whether it is a circle, you use compasses; to determine a square, use an angle rule. If a ruler wishes to know where he has gone wrong, he should seek the help of someone who dares to point out his shortcomings.

Scroll 39: Lü Shi Chun Qiu



46、古之賢君，樂聞其過，故直言得至，以補其闕①。


【註釋】①闕：疏漏。

【白話】古代的賢明君主，樂於聽人指出自己的過

失，所以能聽到正直的話，藉以補救缺點。

46. The ancient sage-rulers were keen to know where they went wrong and thus were able to hear honest and upright remonstrations to remedy their shortcomings.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi

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47、明君蒞眾①，務下之言，以昭外也；敬納卑賤，

以誘賢也。其無拒言，未必言者之盡用也，乃懼拒無

用而讓②有用也。

（卷四十四　潛夫論）

【註釋】①蒞眾：治理百姓。②讓：通「攘」，排

斥。

【白話】賢明的君主治理百姓，務求臣下之言，來昭

示於朝廷外；恭敬地接納卑賤之人，來吸引賢士。君

主不拒絕進言，未必所有的進言都採用，只是擔心拒

絕無用的意見而會使有用的意見受到排斥。

47. In running his administration, a wise ruler expected the words of his ministers to be made public, while encouraging remonstrations even from men of inferior status to attract worthy people to serve in his government. He would not decline remonstrations, not because he expected to adopt all counsels given, but rather, to ensure that invaluable advice was never rejected in the process.

Scroll 44: Qian Fu Lun



48、仁君廣山藪①之大，納切直②之謀。


【註釋】①山藪：山林與湖澤。藪，音sǒu／ㄙㄡˇ。

②切直：懇切率直。

【白話】仁德的君主有著像高山、湖澤那樣大的胸

懷，可以接納懇切率直的謀略。

48. The magnanimity of a benevolent ruler—being as mighty as a mountain and as vast as a lake—would enable him to be ever ready to accept straightforward and earnest strategic plans.


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49、今群臣皆以邕為戒，上畏不測之難，下懼劍客之

害，臣知朝廷不復得聞忠言矣。夫立言無顯過之咎①，

明鏡無見玼②之尤③。如惡④立言以記過，則不當學

也。不欲明鏡之見玼，則不當照也。願陛下詳思臣

言，不以記過見玼為責。

（卷二十四　後漢書四）

【註釋】①咎：罪過，過失。②見玼：顯露瑕疵。

見，同「現」，顯現、顯露。玼，玉的斑點，引申為

缺點、毛病。③尤：過失，罪愆。④惡：音wù／ㄨˋ。

討厭，憎恨。

【白話】今天群臣都以蔡邕的下場為鑑戒，上怕受到

難以預料的災難，下怕有刺客來行刺，臣知道朝廷

不會再聽到忠言了。發表言論不該因指出過錯而被責

處，明鏡不該因照出污點而被怨尤。如果討厭設立史

官秉筆直書記錄過失，那就不該學習古人（設立史

官）。如果不想被鏡子照出污點，就不該去照了。希

望陛下仔細考慮臣說的話，不因為指出過錯和反映污

點而責備大臣。



49. As everyone in the imperial court regarded the fate of Cai Yong as a painful lesson, ministers are now exercising extra care not to offend those of senior rankings for fear of courting trouble or being assassinated. I know that truth will no longer be heard in the imperial court. But should a person who disclosed the plain truth deserve punishment? Should we lay the blame on a mirror because it reflects our blemishes? If a ruler worries that open remonstrations of his shortcomings will be recorded in history he should not have encouraged remonstrations to be given. If one does not want his blemishes to be reflected in a mirror he should not have looked himself in the mirror. May Your Highness consider my words carefully and pardon the ministers who have revealed your shortcomings and inadequacies.


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50、能容直臣，則上之失不害於下，而民之所患上聞

矣。


【白話】能容納正直的臣子，則君主有失誤也不會貽

害百姓，而百姓的憂患君主也能聽到。

50. If a ruler can tolerate and heed the advice of upright ministers, the impact of his mistakes will not bring disaster to his people, and the hardship suffered by his people can also be brought to his attention.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



51、君明則臣直。古之聖王，恐不聞其過，故有敢諫

之鼓①。

（卷二十六　魏志下）

【註釋】①敢諫之鼓：設於朝廷供進諫者敲擊以聞的

鼓。

【白話】君主聖明臣下就正直。古代聖明的君王唯恐

聽不到自己的過錯，因此設立了讓進諫者敲擊以便領

導者知曉的鼓。

51. An honorable ruler would naturally have upright ministers. As ancient sage-rulers were worried that they might not be able to realize and rectify their shortcomings, they implemented the “remonstrating drum” to allow remonstrators to beat the drum in order for them to express their views.


52、堯舜之世，諫鼓謗木①，立之於朝，殷周哲王，

小人②怨詈③，則洗目改聽，所以達聰明④，開不諱⑤，

博採負薪⑥，盡極下情也。

（卷二十三　後漢書三）

【註釋】①謗木：相傳堯舜時於交通要道豎立木

柱，讓人在上面寫諫言，稱「謗木」。②小人：平

民百姓。③怨詈：怨恨咒罵。詈，音lì／ㄌㄧˋ。咒

罵。④聰明：指明察事理。⑤不諱：不隱諱。⑥負

薪：指地位低微的人。

【白話】堯舜的時候，在朝堂設敢諫之鼓，立誹謗之

木，殷周二朝的聖王，對待百姓的怨罵，總是洗耳

恭聽，真誠接受，所以才能夠明察事理，讓別人直言

不諱，廣泛聽取普通百姓的意見、全面細緻地了解民

情。

65Be Receptive to Counsels from Ministers


52. During the reigns of emperors Yao and Shun, the remonstrating drum was set up in the court, and wooden pillars were erected in major hallways to allow civilians to inscribe their complaints. The sage-rulers of the Yin and Zhou dynasties would listen attentively to people’s complaints and deliberate the truth of what was spoken, and allow people to speak their minds without prohibition. After listening to their suggestions, the ruler would be in a better position to judge the situation of his people.


53、禹之治天下也，以五聲聽。門懸鐘鼓鐸①磬②，

而置鞀③，以待四海之士，為銘④於筍簴⑤曰：「教寡

人以道者擊鼓；教寡人以義者擊鐘；教寡人以事者振⑥鐸；告寡人以憂者擊磬；語寡人以訟獄者揮鞀。」

此之謂五聲。是以禹嘗據一饋而七起，日中而不暇飽

食。曰：「吾不恐四海之士留於道路，吾恐其留吾門

廷⑦也！」是以四海之士皆至，是以禹朝廷間，可以

羅雀⑧者。

（卷三十一　鬻子）

【註釋】①鐸：音duó／ㄉㄨㄛˊ。古代樂器，大鈴

的一種。古代宣布政教法令或遇戰事時用之。青銅製

品，形如鉦而有舌。其舌有木製和金屬製兩種，故又

有木鐸和金鐸之分。②磬：古代打擊樂器，狀如曲

尺。用玉、石或金屬製成。③鞀：音táo／ㄊㄠˊ。

有柄的小鼓。④銘：刻寫在器物上的文辭。⑤筍簴：

即「筍虡」，音sǔn jù／ㄙㄨㄣˇ ㄐㄩˋ。古代懸掛

鐘磬的架子。橫架為筍，直架為虡。⑥振：揮動，搖

動。⑦門廷：宮門、朝門外的地方。⑧羅雀：形容門

庭寂靜或冷落。

Be Receptive to Counsels from Ministers 67


【白話】禹王通過聆聽五種聲音來治理天下。朝堂門

上懸掛著鐘、鼓、鐸和磬，旁邊擺放著鞀，以此接待

天下士人，並在懸掛鐘磬的木架上刻著銘文，說：

「以道教導我的請擊鼓；以義教導我的請敲鐘；教導

我如何處理國家大事的請搖鐸；告知我國家憂患的請

擊磬；告訴我訴訟之事的請搖鞀。」這就是所謂的五

聲。因此，禹王曾經在吃一頓飯的期間七次起身處理

政務，一直忙到正午都沒有時間吃飽飯。禹王說：

「我不怕天下的賢者停留在路上，我擔心沒有及時聽

取寶貴建議並加以處理，而讓他們滯留在我的門庭

啊！」因此天下士人紛紛到來，也因此，禹的朝廷很

清靜。

53. King Yu governed his kingdom through the application of “five sounds” generated by musical instruments. On the door of the imperial court hung a bell, a drum, a proclamation or war bell, and a chime stone; another small revolving drum with a handle was placed beside them. Visiting scholars were greeted by the following words, engraved on the wooden rack: “Please hit the drum if you want to teach me the Great Way; strike the bell if you want

69

to teach me about honor; shake the proclamation or war bell if you want to teach me about administrative affairs; hit the chime stone if you want to brief me about national issues, and if you want to discuss lawsuits please swing the revolving drum.” These were the functions of the “five sounds”. It was said that on one occasion, King Yu was interrupted seven times during a meal to attend to official matters and could only finish his meal by noon. King Yu said: “I do not worry about sages idling along the road, but am worried that I might not be prompt in receiving invaluable advice from these people and neglected them at my courtyard.” Thus, learned men came from all over the kingdom to offer valuable ideas to Yu and so there was lasting peace and order during his reign.

Scroll 31: Yu Zi



54、昔高祖①納善若不及，從諫若轉圜②。

（卷十九　漢書七）

【註釋】①高祖：指西漢高祖劉邦。②圜：音

yuán／ㄩㄢˊ。同「圓」。

【白話】當年漢高祖採納善言唯恐來不及，聽從諫言

就好似轉動圓形之物那樣順暢迅速。

54. Emperor Gaozu of the Han dynasty was always ready to accept good advice and would never hesitate to listen to remonstrations as surely as spinning a round object.


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55、通直言之塗，引而致之，非為名也，以為直言不

聞，則己之耳目塞。耳目塞於內，諛者順之於外，此

三季①所以至亡，而不自知也。


【註釋】①三季：指夏、商、周三代的末期。

【白話】敞開直言之路，招引獲得諫言，不是為取得

好名聲，而是認為聽不到正直的言論，自己就會耳目

閉塞。自己耳目閉塞，阿諛的人又凡事順從自己，這

就是夏、商、周三代末年的君主滅亡的原因，而他們

自己卻不知道。

55. Allowing open remonstrations against the government was never meant to leave a good impression, but rather, due to the fact that if upright opinions were not heard, the ruler might be veiled from the plain truth. Being concealed from the plain truth and surrounded by irresponsible subordinates who were flatterers—these were the crucial factors leading to the downfall of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, even without their knowledge.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



56、扁鵲不能治不受鍼藥①之疾，賢聖不能正不食（食

疑受）善言（善言作諫諍）之君。故桀有關龍逢②而夏亡；紂

有三仁③而商滅。故不患無夷吾④由余⑤之論（論作倫），

患無桓、穆之聽耳。


【註釋】①鍼藥：針灸、藥物。鍼，同「針」。②關

龍逢：桀的臣子。桀作酒池塘丘，為長夜飲。龍逢力

諫被殺。逢，音páng／ㄆㄤˊ。③三仁：指微子、

箕子、比干三人。④夷吾：即管仲。⑤由余：一作繇

余，春秋時天水人。為秦穆公出謀劃策，使秦位列春

秋五霸。

【白話】扁鵲不能醫治不接受針灸和藥物的疾病，賢

人和聖人也不能糾正不接受勸諫的國君。因此，夏桀

雖有關龍逢，夏朝還是滅亡了；殷紂雖有微子、箕

子、比干三個仁人，但商朝還是滅亡了。可見不用擔

心臣子沒有像管仲、由余那樣好的見解，就怕國君不

能像齊桓公、秦穆公那樣願意聽取諫言。

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56. Even the great doctor, Bian Que, could not cure illnesses that were not receptive to acupuncture and medicine; and even the saints and sages could not help rulers who were not open to sensible advice. Despite having faithful ministers such as Guan Longpang4, the Xia dynasty came to an end under King Jie’s tyrannical rule. Another despot, King Zhou of the Shang dynasty, had able ministers like Wei Zi, Ji Zi and Bi Gan5, but his despotic rule quickly brought the downfall of the Shang dynasty. Hence rulers should never worry that their ministers might not be as competent as Guan Zhong or You Yu6, but should worry that they might not be able to accept remonstrations as willingly as Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Mu of Qin did.


4 Guan Longpang 關龍逢 was killed after he tried to admonish King Jie 夏桀 not to build the “wine pool”.

5 King Zhou殷紂 killed Bi Gan 比干, imprisoned Ji Zi 箕子, and forced Wei Zi 微子, his brother, to flee to another country.

6 You Yu 由余 also called Yao Yu 繇余 was a high minister in the state of Qin 秦國during the late Spring and Autumn period between 659–621 BC. He succeeded in getting the eight tribes of the west to submit to the authority of Duke Mu of Qin 秦穆公 and established Qin as one of the five haegemonic states of the Spring and Autumn period.



六、杜讒邪

Be Averse to Slanderous and Malevolent Advice

57、是故為人君者，所與遊①必擇正人，所觀覽必察

正象，放鄭聲②而弗聽，遠佞人③而弗近，然後邪心

不生，而正道可弘也。

（卷二十五　魏志上）

【註釋】①遊：交遊；結交。②鄭聲：原指春秋戰國

時鄭國的音樂。鄭國的音樂多為靡靡之音。故稱放蕩

不雅正的音樂為「鄭聲」。③佞人：善於花言巧語，

阿諛奉承的人。

【白話】所以說，做君主者，他所交往的一定要挑選

正直的人，所觀看的一定要選擇正大光明的景象，拋

開庸俗的音樂而不聽，疏遠諂媚的人而不接近，這樣

才能使邪惡之心不生，而正道也可以得到弘揚了。

57. A ruler must choose upright people to be his friends, appreciate scenery that is inspiring, and distance himself from decadent music and flatterers. In this way he can regulate his mind and promote the virtuous way.


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58、或問：「天子守在四夷①，有諸？」曰：「此外

守也，天子之內守在身。」曰：何謂也？曰：「至尊

者，其攻之者眾焉，故便僻②御侍③，攻人主而奪其

財；近幸妻妾，攻人主而奪其寵；逸遊伎藝，攻人主

而奪其志；左右小臣，攻人主而奪其行；不令之臣，

攻人主而奪其事。是謂內寇。」

（卷四十六　申鑒）

【註釋】①四夷：古代華夏族對四方少數民族的統

稱，指東夷、西戎、南蠻、北狄。②便僻：音pián

pì／ㄆㄧㄢˊ ㄆㄧˋ。指君主左右受寵幸的小臣。③

御侍：帝王侍從。

【白話】有人問：「天子的守衛在於防禦四方夷狄的

入侵，是嗎？」答：「這只是對外的防禦，天子對內

的防禦在於自身。」問：「此話怎講？」答：「處於

至高無上地位的人，『進攻』他的人很多。逢迎諂媚

的侍從攻人主之心，而競相取得其財利；人主親近的

妻妾嬪妃攻人主之心，而爭奪其寵愛；放縱遊樂的歌

妓藝人攻人主之心，使其玩物喪志；人主左右的小臣

攻人主之心，使其品行不端；心懷不善之臣攻人主之

心，使其貽誤大事。這些可說是內部的盜寇。」



58. Someone might ask: “Is the ruler’s defense strategy targetting at the Si Yi7 tribes surrounding the land of Huaxia8?”

Answer9: “This is only the foreign defense strategy of a ruler. His true defense lies in the cultivation of himself.”

“Why is this so?” asked another.

Answer: “The person in the highest authority has many ‘assailants’. The flatterers by his side will assail his feelings and compete for monetary favors. His wives and consorts will assail his feelings and compete for favoritism. The hedonist performers will assail his feelings and lure him to forget his missions. The junior officials by his side will assail his feelings and make him behave indecently. Unscrupulous ministers will assail his feelings and make him ignore critical issues. These are the thieves who assail and hasten the rotting of the ruling administration to its core.

Scroll 46: Shen Jian7 Si Yi 四夷, eponyms given to the “four barbarians” in ancient Chinese literature : the western Rong 戎 (western tribes), the eastern Yi 夷(eastern tribes), the northern Hu 胡, or Di 狄 (northern tribes), and the southern Man 蠻 (southern tribes).

8 Huaxia 華夏 represents China and the Chinese civilization in historical Chinese literature.

9 In the book Shen Jian 申鑒,the author posed questions and answers to elaborate on his own political thinking.

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59、奸臣因以似象之言而為之容說①，人主不能別

也，是而悅之，惑亂其心，舉動日繆②，而常自以為

得道，此有國之常患也。夫佞邪之言，柔順而有文；

忠正之言，簡直而多逆。

（卷五十　袁子正書）

【註釋】①容說：曲意逢迎，以取悅於上。說，同

「悅」。②繆：音miù／ㄇㄧㄡˋ。錯誤；乖誤。

【白話】奸臣用乍聽起來像是正道的話來諂媚君主，

君主沒有能力辨別，以為是對的而心生歡喜，混亂

了自己的心思，行為日益乖離正道，卻還總認為自己

做得合乎道義，這是君主們的通病。那些奸佞們的言

語，柔和順心而有文采；忠正臣子的話，簡樸直接而

多半聽來逆耳。

59. Treacherous officials often used persuasions that seemed righteous to convince the ruler. If a ruler could not discern right from wrong, he would be confused and would gradually move away from the right path, assuming that he was still steering toward the right



direction. That was a common fatal error made by most rulers. The words uttered by the treacherous are usually gentle and pleasing, flowery and full of flattery; but the words from loyal and upright officials are simple, direct, and often displeasing to the ears of the ruler.

Scroll 50: Yuan Zi Zheng Shu

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60、諂媚小人，歡笑以贊善；面從①之徒，拊節②以稱功。益③使惑者不覺其非，自謂有端晏④之捷、過人之辨⑤而不寤⑥，斯乃招患之旌。

（卷五十　抱朴子）

【註釋】①面從：謂當面順從。②拊節：即擊節，形容十分讚賞。拊，音fǔ／ㄈㄨˇ。拍；擊。節，古樂器中擯制節拍的器具，用竹編成，擊之成聲。③益：更加。④端晏：指子貢和晏子。⑤辨：通「辯」。指辯論的才能。⑥寤：通「悟」，覺悟，認識到。

【白話】諂媚的小人，總是笑著稱讚叫好；當面奉承的人，總是擊節稱讚功德。更使迷惑的人覺察不出自己的錯誤，自認有著和子貢、晏子一樣的敏捷，以及超越常人的辯才，而不能醒悟，這些正是招致禍患的

旗幟。

60. A scoundrel would always laugh and throw compli-ments wherever he went. A stooge would always hit the bamboo drum box while lauding one’s contributions. But a deluded person might be led into believing that he could be as talented and eloquent as Zigong and Yanzi. This is, unfortunately, a foolish banner that could easily court trouble.

Scroll 50: Bao Pu Zi



61、昔李斯教秦二世曰：「為人主而不恣睢①，命之

曰天下桎梏②。」二世用之，秦國以覆，斯亦滅族。


【註釋】①恣睢：放縱暴戾。②桎梏：音zhìgù／ㄓˋ

ㄍㄨˋ。古代用來拘繫犯人手腳的刑具，在手上戴的

為梏，在脚上戴的為桎，類似於近世的腳鐐手銬。

【白話】從前李斯告訴秦二世說：「當了君主若不能

放任自己、無拘無束，這就叫做把天下變成束縛自己

的腳鐐手銬。」秦二世採用了他的話，秦國因此而滅

亡，李斯也被滅族。

61. Prime Minister Li Si advised Emperor Er Shi (the second emperor) of the Qin dynasty by saying that if a person could not act freely after becoming a ruler, it might be likened to a man being handcuffed and restricted from moving around. Er Shi heeded this and ruled ruthlessly, thus bringing the Qin dynasty to an end in just three years, and Li Si and his whole clan were executed by this tyrannical ruler.


62、用賢人而行善政，如或譖①之，則賢人退而善政

還②。

（卷十五　漢書三）

【註釋】①譖：音zèn／ㄗㄣˋ。讒毀；誣陷。

②還：罷歇；止息。

【白話】任用賢德的人施行清明的政治，如果有人進

讒言毀謗他，那賢人就會離去，而善政也就廢止了。

62. A man of virtues appointed to run a competent administration would resign if false charges were brought against him, thus ending the efficient management of the country.


81Be Averse to Slanderous and Malevolent Advice


七、審斷

Be Perceptive and Astute

63、天下之國，莫不皆有忠臣謀士也，或喪師敗軍，

危身亡國者，誠在人主之聽，不精不審。

（卷四十八　時務論）

【白話】天下所有的國家都是有忠臣和謀士的，其中

有折損軍隊、吃了敗仗，危及自身乃至亡國的，實在

是因為君主聽了各種建議之後的決斷，不嚴密、不詳

究。

63. Although there are faithful ministers and wise strategists in every country, some countries would still suffer heavy losses in battles, thereby putting their lives and the fate of their countries at stake. This is because the rulers listened to various advice but could not come up with wise decisions based on careful observation and highly critical analysis.

Scroll 48: Shi Wu Lun

64、夫讒人似實，巧言如簧①，使聽之者惑，視之者

昏。夫吉凶之效，在乎識善；成敗之機，在於察言。


【註釋】①巧言如簧：形容人言辭巧妙動聽，猶如笙

中之簧。簧，笙、竽、管等樂器中振動發聲的薄片，

用竹、金屬或其他材料製成。

【白話】讒奸之人看似誠實，花言巧語好像笙簧，

讓聽到的人迷惑，讓看到的人昏聵。吉和凶的效驗，

在於有能力認識何者是善；成或敗的關鍵，在於能夠

詳審何者論述正確。

64. People with treacherous characters may look sincere and their sweet talks are forever melodious like the music played on wind instruments, which could enthrall the audience and dazzle their eyes. It takes one who can discern right from wrong to verify the effects of good or ill doings, and the key to success or failure would hinge on one’s ability to determine who is speaking the truth.


Be Perceptive and Astute 83


65、凡有血氣①，苟不相順，皆有爭心。隱而難分，

微而害深者，莫甚於言矣。君人②者將和眾③定民，

而殊其善惡，以通天下之志者也，聞言不可不審也。


【註釋】①血氣：血液和氣息。②君人：為人君主；

治理人民。③和眾：使百姓和順。

【白話】大凡有血氣的萬物，如果彼此不和順，就會

有競爭之心。人們交往中隱晦而難以分辨、細小卻有

大害的，莫過於言語。做君主的要協調眾人、安定百

姓、分別善惡以通達天下人的心志，對聽到的話就不

能不加以詳察。

65. Conflicts among all beings with flesh and blood are inevitable unless they learn to live amicably with one another. Nothing is more destructive than a misleading speech. A ruler should be in good terms with the people, bring stability to the society, and able to discern right from wrong so that he could understand fully the aspirations

85

of his people. For this, he will have to think and examine carefully what he hears.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



66、不用之法，聖主不行；不驗①之言，明主不聽

也。


【註釋】①不驗：不切實際；沒有效驗。

【白話】不合時宜的法度，聖明的君王不會施行；

不切實際的言論，賢明的君王不會聽信。

66. A sage-ruler will not implement rules that have become obsolete. A wise ruler will reject ideas that are unfeasible.


87

67、主察異言，乃覩其萌；主聘儒賢，奸雄乃遁①；

主任舊齒②，萬事乃理；主聘巖穴，士乃得實。故傅說陟

而殷道興，四皓至而漢祚長，得治之實也。

（卷四十　三略）

【註釋】①遁：逃亡；逃跑。②舊齒：年高望重者；

老臣，舊臣。

【白話】君主能明察反常的言論，才能看到禍亂的萌

芽。君主能聘任賢能的儒士，奸雄就會逃亡；君主信

任久經考驗的老臣，萬事才能治理得好；君主訪求不

求名利的隱士，這些士人的實德才得以宣揚，進而發

揮教化的作用。

67. A ruler could anticipate the fermenting of an uprising if he could analyze and detect something unusual in a speech. If he engaged worthy scholars to work in his administration, ministers with treacherous characters would flee into hiding. When he entrusted administrative duties to his old and experienced ministers, everything would be done well. Recruiting selfless wise people who



come out of their reclusive cultivation will enable them to put their invaluable wisdom to good use.

Scroll 40: San Lüe

89

68、齊侯問於晏子曰：「為政何患？」對曰：「患善

惡之不分。」公曰：「何以察之？」對曰：「審擇左

右，左右善，則百僚①各獲其所宜，而善惡分矣。」

孔子聞之曰：「此言信矣。善進則不善無由入矣，

不善進則善亦無由入矣。」


【註釋】①百僚：百官。

【白話】齊侯向晏子問道：「執政最要擔心的是什

麼？」晏子回答說：「擔心好人、壞人分不清。」齊

侯說：「怎麼樣來考察他們呢？」晏子回答說：「審

慎地選擇左右親信，如果左右親信好，那麼百官就會

各自得到其所適合的位置，這樣好人、壞人也就能辨

別清楚了。」孔子聽後說：「這話確實如此。賢善之

人得到進用，那麼不善之人就沒有辦法進來；如果不

善之人得到進用，那麼賢善之人也就沒有辦法進來

了。」



68. The Marquis of Qi asked Prime Minister Yanzi: “What are the main concerns in running an administration?”

Yanzi replied: “A ruling administration should worry about being unable to differentiate between the righteous and the evil.”

“So how does one make a distinction between the two?” The Marquis asked again.

To this Yanzi said: “Observe the people who work closely with you carefully. If they are competent, they would assign tasks fit for their subordinates; in this way, the righteous and evil ones will soon be identified.”

On hearing this Confucius added: “This is quite a credible statement. If people of virtues are hired, the immoral ones would not have a firm footing in the government. But if the immoral ones gain power, there will be no opportunities for people of virtues to serve in the government.”


91

69、眾人之唯唯，不若直士之愕愕①。


【註釋】①愕愕：直言無諱的樣子。

【白話】眾士的唯唯諾諾，不如一位正直士人的直言

諫諍。

69. A straightforward remonstration from an upright person is better than submissive responses from the majority.




70、人主莫不欲得賢而用之，而所用者不免於不肖；

莫不欲得奸而除之，而所除者不免於罰賢。若是者，

賞罰之不當，任使之所由也。人主之所賞，非謂其不

可賞也，必以為當矣；人主之所罪，非以為不可罰

也，必以為信①矣。智不能見是非之理，明不能察浸

潤②之言，所任者不必智，所用者不必忠，故有賞賢

罰暴之名，而有戮能養奸之實，此天下之大患也。


【註釋】①信：果真；確實。②浸潤：逐漸滲透。引

申為積久而發生作用。

【白話】君主無不想得到賢才並任用他們，但所任用

的人中總是難免有不賢的人；君主無不想抓住奸人而

鏟除他們，但被鏟除的人中總是難免有賢能的人。

像這種情況出現，是因為賞罰失當、委任官員不妥造

成的。君主所獎賞的，並不是明知道這個人不應該獎

賞而偏要獎賞他，一定自以為獎賞得十分恰當；君主

所懲罰的，並不是明知道這個人不該懲罰卻偏要懲罰

他，一定是認為懲罰得恰到好處。問題在於君主的智

慧不能分辨是非曲直，其賢明的程度還不能夠識別漸

93

漸滲透的讒言，所委任的人未必真有智慧，所用的人

未必忠誠，所以雖然名義上是賞賜賢能而懲罰暴徒，

實際上卻往往懲罰了賢者而姑息了奸人，這是天下的

大患啊！

70. Every ruler would dream of recruiting worthy officials to serve under him but among the people he hired, some turned against him. Despite intending only to weed out treacherous officials, it was somehow inevitable to involve a few worthy people. This happened as a result of rewards or punishments being wrongfully given and some officials being inappropriately appointed. A ruler would not have rewarded an undeserving individual if he had not believed that this award was justifiable. Likewise, he would not have wrongly punished a person if he had not believed this punishment was justifiable. The plain truth revealed that if a ruler could not discern right from wrong, while lacking the wisdom and vigilance in analyzing escalating rumors, he might erronerously hire unwise and disloyal people to serve him. Hence it may seem as if he has rewarded the worthy and punished the villains but in actual fact he has



done the opposite. This would indeed be a most tragic scourge!



一、立節

Uphold Integrity

71、良將不怯死以苟免①，烈士②不毀節以求生。


【註釋】①苟免：苟且免於損害。②烈士：有節氣有

壯志的人。

【白話】良將不會因畏懼死亡而苟且偷生，有氣節壯

志的人不會毀棄節操以求活命。

71. A great general would rather sacrifice his life for the country than to lead a cowardly life. A martyr will not forsake his integrity in return for his safety.


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72、子罕①曰：「我以『不貪』為寶，爾以玉為寶。

若以與我，皆喪寶也，不若人有其寶。」


【註釋】①子罕：樂喜，子姓，樂氏，字子罕，是春

秋時期宋國的卿，於宋平公時任司城，故又稱司城子

罕。

【白話】子罕說：「我把『不貪』看作寶物，你把玉

石看作寶物。如果你把玉石送給我，我們兩人就都喪

失了寶物，倒不如各人保有自己的寶物。」

72. Zihan said: “I take pride in being not greedy. You take pride in owning emeralds. If you give the emeralds to me, we will both lose what is precious to us. Would it not be better for each of us to keep the item that we treasure the most?”


Uphold Integrity


73、故舊①長者②，或欲令為開產業。震曰：「使後世

稱為清白吏子孫，以此遺之，不亦厚乎？」


【註釋】①故舊：舊交、舊友。②長者：年紀大或輩

分高的人。

【白話】舊友和長輩中有人勸楊震為子孫置辦一些私

人財產。楊震說：「讓後世人稱他們為清白官吏的子

孫，把這個留給他們，不是很豐厚嗎？」

73. Some old friends and family elders advised Yang Zhen to bequeath some private properties to his sons and grandchildren. Yang Zhen said to them: “If in the future my sons and grandchildren are known for being the ‘descendants of an official with a clean record,’ is this not a rich inheritance indeed?”


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74、亮自表①後主曰：「成都有桑八百株，薄田②十五

頃，子弟衣食自有餘饒。至於臣在外任，無別調度③

，隨身衣食，悉仰於官。若死之日，不使內有餘帛、

外有贏財④，以負陛下。」及卒，如其所言。

（卷二十七　蜀志）

【註釋】①自表：自上奏章。②薄田：貧瘠的田。有

時也用以謙稱自己的田地。③調度：徵調賦稅。④贏

財：餘財。

【白話】諸葛亮曾向後主上表說：「臣在成都有桑樹

八百株，薄田十五頃，家中子弟的衣食，已有餘裕。

至於臣在外任職，沒有徵調其他財物、賦稅作為收

入，隨身衣食都依賴朝廷供給。如果臣有一天死去，

不讓家中有多餘的布帛、家外有多餘的財產，以致辜

負陛下的信任。」到諸葛亮去世的時候，正像他所說

的那樣。

Uphold Integrity


74. In a memorial presented to Emperor Liu Shan, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang said: “I own 800 mulberry trees and fifteen hectares of paddy fields at Cheng Du, which are more than adequate for my children. During my tenure as a government minister, I have never misappropriated any funds, including the taxes collected, and the government would always provide food and clothing for me. One day when I pass away, I will not have any surplus brocade for my family to keep, or own any surplus money and properties outside my family—this is a sign of honoring your trust in me.” When Zhuge Liang passed away, everything was done exactly the way he had promised.

Scroll 27: Shu Zhi

101

75、州之北界有水，名曰「貪泉」。父老云：「飲此

水者，使廉士變節。」隱之始踐境，先至水所，酌

而飲之，因賦詩曰：「古人云此水，一歃①懷千金。

試使夷齊②飲，終當不易心！」

（卷三十　晉書下）

【註釋】①歃：音shà/ㄕㄚˋ。飲。②夷齊：伯夷和

叔齊的並稱，兩人曾互相禮讓王位。武王伐紂時，伯

夷與叔齊曾叩馬而諫，認為這樣做是以暴易暴，不可

取。後天下歸周，二人以為恥，義不食周粟，於首陽

山採薇而食，直至餓死。

【白話】廣州的北部有一處泉水，名叫「貪泉」。當

地父老傳說：「飲了這個泉的水，清廉的官員就會改

變節操而貪污。」吳隱之剛踏入廣州地界，便先到貪

泉去，舀水來喝，並賦詩一首說：「古人說這裡的泉

水，喝一口就會變成貪婪的小人。假如讓伯夷、叔齊

這樣的廉潔之士喝下，他們絕不會改變自己的初心！」

Uphold Integrity


75. In the north of Guangzhou Province there is a fountain known as the “Covetous Fountain.” Legend has it that even a righteous official would be transformed into a corrupted person after drinking a mouthful of water from this fountain. When a man named Wu Yinzhi arrived at Guangzhou, the first thing he did was to locate this fountain and fetch some water to drink, after which he wrote this poetic prose: “The ancients say that a mouthful of this fountain water will turn a man into a scoundrel. But I doubt honorable men like Bo Yi and Shu Qi will change their noble character even if they had drunk this water!”


103

二、盡忠

Serve with Utmost Loyalty

76、忠臣不私，私臣不忠，履正奉公，臣子之節。


【白話】忠臣沒有私心，有私心的臣子則不忠，履行

正道、奉公行事，是做臣子的節操。

76. Loyal ministers are selfless, and selfish ministers are not loyal. Integrity is about upholding justice in carrying out one’s official duties.




77、君語及之，則危言①；語不及，則危行②。國有

道，則順命；無道，則衡命③。

（卷十二　史記下）

【註釋】①危言：猶慎言。②危行：小心地行動，

慎行。③衡命：違逆命令。

【白話】如果國君問到自己，就謹慎地發表自己的言

論；若是國君沒詢問自己，就謹慎地做事，修養自己

的德行。國君政令合乎正道時，就服從命令去做；

國君政令不合乎正道時，就不受其命而隱居起來。

77. When His Highness requests for an opinion, I would speak cautiously. If he has no questions for me, I would carry out my work cautiously and focus on cultivating my moral character. When the country conforms with the Dao (the moral way) I will obey the orders. If the country has deviated from its moral way, I will decline to obey and revert to the simple life of a recluse.

Scroll 12: Shi Ji, Vol. 2

105

78、夫殺生賞罰，治亂所由興也。人主所謂宜生，

或不可生，則人臣當陳所以宜殺；人主所謂宜賞，或

不應賞，則人臣當陳所以宜罰。然後治道（治道上下必有脫

文）耳。

（卷二十九　晉書上）

【白話】死、生、賞、罰這些處置的正確與否，和國

家的安定與動亂有著密切的關係。君主說某人應該活

命，倘若不可以活命，那麼做人臣的就應陳述所以該

殺的原因；君主認為某人該獎賞，倘若不該獎賞而該

罰，那麼做人臣的就應陳述其所以該罰的道理。然後

才談得上治國有道。

78. The social stability or unrest of a country is closely related to the ruler’s final decisions in determining the life and death, reward and punishment of his subordinates or people. If a ruler wished to spare the life of a man who deserved the death sentence, his officials should clarify in detail why the execution should be carried out. If a ruler wished to reward a man who deserved punishment,



his officials should explain to him why the punishment should be carried out. A good government is said to be established when the above conditions are met.


107

79、忠臣之事君也，言切直則不用，其身危；不切直

則不可以明道。故切直①之言，明主所欲急聞，忠臣

之所以蒙②死而竭智也。


【註釋】①切直：懇切率直。②蒙：蒙受。引申為冒

著、頂著。

【白話】忠臣事奉君主，言語懇切率直則不被信用，

還會危及自己的生命；如果言語不切直，又不能夠

闡明道理。所以切直的話，是英明的君主所急切希望

聽到的，也是忠臣之所以冒著死罪而竭忠盡智要表達

的。

79. Faithful ministers who serve their ruler truly would risk their lives with honest remonstrations. However, their advice might not be heeded. Since implicit remonstrations might not be able to reveal the truth, a wise ruler should therefore be keen to listen to straightforward remonstrations that might put the life of the remonstrating minister at stake.




三、勸諫

Presenting Counsels

80、臣，治煩去惑者也。是以伏死①而爭②。


【註釋】①伏死：甘願捨棄生命。②爭：通「諍」。

諍諫。

【白話】臣下，是為國君整治繁亂和解除迷惑的人。

因此要冒死去諫諍規勸。

80. Ministers are individuals who help a ruler to govern well, apart from overcoming his doubts. Thus, they would remonstrate even if it means risking their lives.


109

81、夫不能諫則君危，固諫則身殆。賢人君子，不忍

觀上之危，而不愛①身之殆。


【註釋】①愛：吝惜、捨不得。

【白話】臣子不能諫諍，君主就會有危險；堅持進

諫，臣子自己就會有危險。真正的賢人君子，不忍心

看到自己的君主處於危險之中，因而不顧自身的危

亡。

81. If ministers fail to convince their ruler with justified remonstrations, this will put him in a dangerous situation. But if they keep on remonstrating, their lives might be at stake for offending their ruler. Ministers who are men of noble character (Junzi) will not bear to see their ruler being caught in a dangerous situation, and will therefore risk their lives for the sake of the country.


Presenting Counsels


82、故曰：「危而不持，顛而不扶，則將焉用彼相？

扶之之道，莫過於諫矣。故子從命者，不得為孝；

臣苟順者，不得為忠。是以國之將興，貴在諫臣；

家之將盛，貴在諫子。」


【白話】因此（孔子）說：「君主遇到危險而不去護

持，君主就要跌倒而不去攙扶，那君主還要這樣的臣

子幹什麼呢？而扶持的方法，沒有比諫諍更好的了。

因此，做兒子的如果只是一味聽從父親的話，算不得

是真正的孝；做臣子的只是一味順從君主的意思，算

不上是真正的忠。因此國家將要興旺，貴在有能夠直

言諫諍的大臣；家庭將要興旺，貴在有能夠勸諫父母

的孩子。」

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82. Confucius said: “If a minister does not protect a ruler from danger, or help him when he is about to fall, then why should a ruler employ his service? The best way to protect a ruler is none other than through sincere remonstrations. A son who obeys a father blindly is not fulfilling true filial piety. A minister who obeys his ruler sheepishly is not being truly faithful. The prosperity of a nation relies very much on government officials who are able to remonstrate with the ruler frankly, while the prosperity of a family relies on children who are able to remonstrate with their parents.”


Presenting Counsels


83、若託物以風喻，微生（生疑言）而不切，不切則不

改。唯正諫直諫可以補缺也。


【白話】如果假借一些事物來進行委婉的勸諫，言辭

隱微不顯而不能夠切中要害，不能切中要害，就很難

改正錯誤。只有不畏強凌弱、直言地勸諫，才能補救

君主的過失。

83. If one were to express a remonstration through metaphorical implications but was so ambiguous that it failed to convey the intended message, then it could never help a ruler to rectify his mistakes. So, the only way to make a ruler correct his faults is through direct and sincere remonstrations.


113

四、舉賢

Nominating the Right Administrators

84、國之所以不治者三：不知用賢，此其一也；雖知

用賢，求不能得，此其二也；雖得賢不能盡，此其三

也。


【白話】國家不能得到治理有三方面的原因：不知道

推舉任用賢德之人，這是其一；雖然知道任用賢人卻

求不到賢人，這是其二；雖然得到賢人卻不能人盡其

才，這是其三。

84. There are three factors which contribute to an unstable government. First, the right persons are not appointed to do the right jobs. Second, the right persons are identified but they decline to join the government. Third, the right persons are appointed but their talents are never put to good use.

Scroll 36: Shi Zi



85、子墨子曰：「今者王公大人為政於國家者，皆欲

國家之富、人民之眾、刑政之治。然而不得，是其故

何也？是在王公大人為政於國家者，不能以尚賢事能

為政也。是故國有賢良之士眾，則國家之治厚。故大

人之務①，將在於眾賢而已。」

（卷三十四　墨子）

【註釋】①務：緊要的事情。

【白話】墨子說：「現在朝廷中從政的王公大臣，

都希望國家富強、人口眾多、刑律政教都井井有條。

然而卻不能如此，這是什麼緣故呢？究其原因，在於

現在朝廷中從政的王公大臣，不能把尊重賢才、重用

有德能的人作為執政方略。國家擁有的賢良之士愈

多，那麼國家的治化就愈深厚。所以大臣們的要務，

就在於使賢才愈來愈多而已。」

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85. Mozi said: “Today the government wishes to make the country prosperous and populous, with law and order, and everyone receiving education. But what was the reason that stopped this from happening? It was because the government did not consider honoring virtuous and able men and appointing them to assume important positions as part of the administrative strategy. In fact, a country would enjoy political stability when run by men of virtues. Therefore the most urgent task for senior ministers now is to ensure that more worthy people are working for the government.”

Scroll 34: Mo Zi



86、古者取士，諸侯歲貢①。孝武之世，郡舉孝廉，

又有賢良文學之選。於是名臣輩出，文武並興。漢之

得人，數路②而已。


【註釋】①歲貢：古代諸侯郡國定期向朝廷推薦人才

的制度。②路：途徑，門路。

【白話】古代選取士人，要求諸侯定期向朝廷舉薦人

才。漢武帝時，除各郡推舉孝廉外，另有賢良文學之

士的選拔。於是名臣輩出，文治武功同時興盛。漢王

朝獲得人才，主要就是通過這幾個方面。

86. The ancient government required the patrimonial lords to nominate virtuous and able people at regular intervals to serve in the imperial government. During the reign of Emperor Xiao Wu of the Han dynasty10, besides nominating filial and honest men from prefectures to assume government positions, accomplished scholars were also selected to serve in official posts. As a result, many

10Emperor Xiao Wu 孝武 is the posthumous title of the 7th emperor of the Han dynasty, who reigned between 141–87 BC.

117

well-known and accomplished ministers and officials were created in both the civil and military wings of the government. The Han dynasty was able to recruit the service of many worthy individuals using these methods.




87、古之官人，君責之於上，臣舉之於下。得其人有

賞，失其人有罰。安得不求賢乎？


【白話】古時候任用官員，君主在上面提出（選拔

的）要求，臣子在下面保舉推薦。所舉薦的人得當，

就獎賞舉薦者；所舉薦的人失當，就處罰舉薦者。這

樣臣子們能不去訪求賢人嗎？

87. In the past, if a ruler made a request to select officials, his ministers would submit their nominations. If the right candidate was recommended, the nominator would be rewarded. But if the wrong candidate was recommended, the nominator would be punished. In this way the ministers had no choice but to seek and nominate the best candidates for their government.


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88、官者無關梁，邪門啟矣；朝廷不責賢，正路塞

矣。所謂責賢，使之相舉也；所謂關梁，使之相保

也。賢不舉則有咎，保不信亦有罰。有罰則有司莫不

悚也，以求其才焉。


【白話】選任官員不嚴格把關，不正之門就會開啟；

朝廷不求取賢人，入仕的正道就會阻塞。所謂求取賢

人，就是讓官員遞相舉薦；所謂從嚴把關，就是讓保

舉人和被薦人互相擔保。賢人得不到推薦，官員就有

罪過；舉薦不實，官員也要受罰。有了處罰就會讓負

責的官員有恐懼之心，因而能夠盡力求賢。

88. If the selection of officials is not carried out under stringent measures, it will only create opportunities for malpractices in the government; and if the recruiting of virtuous officials is not encouraged, the process of searching for these candidates will be hindered. In selecting potential candidates, it means that ministers have to take turns to make nominations. To act under stringent measures means that the nominators and the



nominees are accountable for each other. If the right candidate is not recommended, the nominating ministers will be penalized; and if there are nomination frauds, the officials will also be punished. As such, officials will be deterred from malpractices and will thus strive to look for worthy talents to serve the country.



一、尚道

Be Respectful of the Dao

89、《彖》曰：觀乎天文，以察時變；觀乎人文，

以化成天下。


【白話】《彖傳》說：觀察天象，可以知曉四季的變

化規律；觀察社會的人文現象，可以推行教化而實現

天下大治。

89. The book of Tuan Zhuan said: “In studying astronomy, we are able to understand the law of changes of the seasons. In studying human civilizations, we are able to understand the process of transformation in the human society and thus implement education and efficient administration to rule the country.”

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

123

90、天地以順動①，故日月不過，而四時不忒。聖人

以順動，則刑罰清而民服。豫之時義大矣哉！


【註釋】①順動：順應事物固有的規律而運動。豫卦

坤下震上，坤為順，震為動。

【白話】天地順應自然規律而動，所以日月運行不會

失度，四季輪轉沒有誤差。聖人能夠順應人的天性而

動，則刑罰清楚簡單，萬民服從。豫卦所蘊含的「順

天而動」的義理是多麼的深遠廣大啊！

90. Heaven and earth move according to the law of nature; hence, the orbits of the sun and the moon will not cross paths and there is no irregularity in the cycle of the four seasons. The sages conformed their actions to the innate nature of humans; therefore the punishments that they imposed were simple and just, and the people faithfully obeyed them. “Complying with the law of heaven”, as implied in the oracle of Yu 豫11, has such a profound and far-reaching meaning!

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

11 The hexagram Yu 豫



91、坤，至柔而動也剛，至靜而德方，含萬物而化光①。

坤道其順乎，承天而時行。


【註釋】①化光：德化廣大的意思。

【白話】坤卦六爻皆陰，至柔，但一有所動便顯示出

剛健的特性；它的形態是至靜的，但具有方正的德

性，含養萬物而德化廣大。坤道是如此的柔順，它總

是順承著天道而行，隨著時節運轉不息。

91. In the oracle of Kun 坤12, all the six lines are yin lines, symbolizing utmost gentleness, but when put in motion, it exudes strength and dynamism. It is always in a state of utmost stillness but owns virtues that are upright, able to nourish all things and extensively assert its moral influence. The way of Kun is so gentle and docile; it obeys the way of heaven and revolves perpetually in step with the seasons.

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

12 The hexagram Kun 坤

125

92、夫大人者，與天地合①其德，與日月合其明，與

四時合其序，與鬼神合其吉凶。先天而天弗違，後天

而奉天時。


【註釋】①合：符合、相同。

【白話】聖明之人，他的道德像天地一樣覆載萬物，

他的聖明如同日月一樣普照萬物，他施理政事像四時

一樣井然有序，他示人的吉凶禍福如同鬼神一樣奧妙

無窮。他若在天時之前行事，天不違背他；若在天時

之後行事，也能奉順天道運行的規律。

92. A sage is one whose virtue encompasses everything, like heaven and earth do, and whose wisdom is as illuminating as the sun and the moon. He handles matters in an orderly way, like the regularity in the cycle of the four seasons; he can foretell good and bad fortunes, calamities and blessings as remarkably as the supernatural



beings. He may precede heaven, and heaven will not act in opposition to him; he may follow heaven, but will act only as heaven at the time would do.

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

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93、子曰：「天之所助者順也，人之所助者信也。

履信思乎順，是以自天佑之，吉無不利。」


【白話】孔子說：「上天所輔助的是能夠順從正道的

人，人們所扶助的是篤守誠信的人。按照誠信的要求

去做事，而時刻不忘記順從天地之道的人，能夠從上

天得到保佑，吉祥而無不利。」

93. Confucius said: “Heaven helps those who follow the righteous path, and people help those who are trustworthy. The trustworthy who abides by the law of nature will be blessed by heaven; thus all things will turn out to be auspicious and favorable for him.”

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi



94、夫道以人之難為易也。是故曾子曰：「父母愛

之，喜而不忘；父母惡之，懼而無咎①。」然則愛與

惡，其於成孝無擇②也。史鰌③曰：「君親而近之，

至敬以遜④；貌⑤而疏之，敬無怨。」然則親與疏，

其於成忠無擇也。孔子曰：「自娛於檃括⑥之中，直

己而不直人，以善廢而不邑邑⑦，蘧伯玉⑧之行也。」

然則興與廢，其於成善無擇也。屈侯附⑨曰：「賢者

易知也，觀其富之所分，達之所進，窮之所不取。」

然則窮與達，其於成賢無擇也。是故愛惡親疏，廢興

窮達，皆可以成義。


【註釋】①咎：責怪，責備。②無擇：不用挑選；沒

有區別。③史鰌：字子魚，春秋衛國大夫。一生為

國薦賢斥奸，死後猶陳屍以諫，以其至誠感動衛靈

公。④遜：謙虛，恭順。⑤貌：通「藐」。輕視。

⑥檃括：泛指矯正。本為矯正竹木邪曲的工具。揉曲

叫檃，音yǐn／ㄧㄣˇ，正方稱括。⑦邑邑：憂鬱不樂

貌。⑧蘧伯玉：春秋時衛國人，是一位求進甚切並善

於改過的賢大夫。蘧，音qú／ㄑㄩˊ。⑨屈侯附：戰

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國人，其生平不詳。

【白話】若循著道義來做事，就能使那些別人覺得困

難的事情變得容易。曾子說：「父母疼愛自己，心

裡高興而不忘父母恩德；父母討厭自己，則戒慎恐懼

不惹父母生氣。」既然如此，那麼不論父母喜歡還是

討厭自己，對於自己成就孝心來說，沒有什麼區別。

史鰌說：「君王親近自己，就禮敬而恭順；君王疏遠

自己，就恭敬而無怨。」既然如此，那麼不論君王親

近還是疏遠自己，對於自己成就忠誠來說，沒有什麼

區別。孔夫子說：「在自我矯正中感到快樂，嚴格要

求自己而不苛求別人，有才德而被廢置不用，卻能不

鬱鬱寡歡，這就是賢人蘧伯玉的德行。」既然如此，

那麼不論被舉用還是被棄置，對於自己養德行善來

說，沒有什麼區別。屈侯附說：「是否賢德很容易辨

別，只要觀察他富裕時如何分配財富，發達時舉薦什

麼樣的人，窮困時如何拒絕外面的誘惑。」既然如

此，那麼不論窮困與發達，對於自己成就賢德來說，

沒有什麼區別。所以，無論別人對我們喜愛還是厭

惡、親近或是疏遠，還是自己人生衰敗、興旺，或是

窮困、發達，都可以成就自己的大義。



94. If one abides by the principles of righteousness, what seems difficult to others will be easy for him. Thus, Zengzi said: “When parents love us, we should be happy and never forget their kindness; but when they dislike us, we should have no resentment and try not to make them unhappy.” Therefore, whether our parents love or dislike us, this should never affect our filial piety toward them. Shi Qiu13 said: “If a ruler is close to us, we should respect him and listen to his orders obediently. If a ruler distances himself from us, we should also respect him without resentment.” Therefore, whether a ruler is close to us or distances himself from us, it should never affect our loyalty toward him. Confucius said: “We should feel happy to be able to rectify our faults and exercise strict self-discipline over ourselves but never insist the same on

13 Shi Qiu 史鰌 was a senior minister who had served in the state of Wei 衛國. He was persistent in nominating able and virtuous men to serve in the administration and warned Duke Ling 靈公 to distance himself from men who would corrupt the govern-ment. Just before Qiu died, he asked his family to place his dead body in a room in the northern quarter of the house, to show to the public how he had failed to convince Duke Ling to appoint Qu Boyu 蘧伯玉to be the premier, and therefore shamefully could not have his remains placed in the centre hall according to the custom at that time. His faithfulness did not go in vain. Duke Ling took this last advice and dismissed Mi Zixia 彌子瑕, the courtier, and promoted Qu Boyu to become the premier.

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others. A man of virtues such as Qu Boyu14 will not feel upset when being neglected.” Therefore, whether we are appointed in office or being neglected will not affect our morality and acts of virtues. Quhou Fu15 said: “It is not difficult to differentiate a person of virtues from the rest: Observe the way he distributes his wealth when he is rich; see which type of people he nominates when he is holding a high position, and notice how he resists temptations when he is impoverished.” In short, true virtues will not be affected in times of hardship or prosperity. Being loved, disliked, in good terms or being distanced, failure or success, rich or poor, all these will help strengthen our success in treading the righteous path.

Scroll 36: Shi Zi

14 Qu Boyu 蘧伯玉 had served in the administrations of Duke Ling 靈公and before that with Duke Xian 獻公 and Duke Shang 殤公 who were respectively the grandfa-ther and father of Duke Ling. Bo Yu’s proposition on urging administrators to exem-plify virtues to educate the people and interfere as little as possible in people’s liveli-hood was an important factor that enabled the small state of Wei to remain neutral and survive among its more powerful neighbors. When Confucius entered Wei he was astonished at the peaceful and stable conditions of the state and attributed this to the presence of able and virtuous officials like Bo Yu.

15 Quhou Fu 屈侯附was the premier serving under Marquis Wen of the state of Wei 魏文侯around 5th century BC. Not much was known about him.



95、君子不與人之謀①則已矣，若與人謀之，則非道

無由也。故君子之謀，能必用道，而不能必見受②

也；能必忠，而不能必入③也；能必信，而不能必見

信也。君子非仁④者，不出之於辭，而施之於行。故

非非者行是，而惡惡者行善，而道諭矣。


【註釋】①之謀：《鬻子》通行本作「謀之」。②見

受：被接納，被接受。③入：接受，採納。④仁：

《鬻子》通行本作「人」。

【白話】君子不為人出謀劃策則已，如果為人謀劃，

就一定會依循道義。所以君子的謀劃，一定能做到遵

從道義，但不一定會被人接受；一定能做到盡忠無

私，但不一定會被人採納；一定能做到誠實不欺，但

不一定會被人相信。君子指正他人，不表露於言辭，

而是體現於行動。所以要指出事情錯誤，就自己去把

正確的做出來；厭惡惡行，就自己努力行善來予以補

救和感化。這樣一來，道理自然就彰顯了。

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95. If a man of noble character (Junzi) agrees to devise strategies for others, his plans will always be drawn on the basis of righteousness. Hence the strategies devised by him would hold elements of righteousness, but they might not necessarily be accepted by some people. His strategies would display great loyalty, but they might not necessarily be used. His strategies would also be trustworthy, but they might not necessarily be trusted by others. When a Junzi corrects the faults of others, he will demonstrate it in his actions. Hence, doing things in a correct manner is an effective way to remind others of their mistakes. To rectify the unbecoming conducts of others, we should carry out acts of virtues frequently so as to evoke the kindness in them. In this way, the principles of righteousness can be clearly understood.

Scroll 31: Yu Zi



96、《象》曰：地中生木，升。君子以慎①德，積小

以成高大。


【註釋】①慎：遵循；依順。

【白話】《象傳》説：樹木生於地中，是成長上升的

象徵。君子因此遵循道德，從積累小善做起，以至成

就高尚的德行。

96. The book of Xiang Zhuan interpreted the oracle of Sheng 升16—“Ascend” as follows: “Plants (wood) grow from the earth, indicating that this is a form of progressive development. A man of noble character (Junzi) is thus vigilant in his conduct and cultivates the act of doing kindness until he has accumulated his virtues to become a man of high morality.”

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

16 The hexagram Sheng 升

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97、帝者貴其德也，王者尚其義也，霸者迫(迫作通)於理

也。道狹然後任智，德薄然後任刑，明淺然後任察。

（卷三十五　文子）

【白話】稱君主為帝是重視其美德，稱君主為王是崇

尚其正義，稱君主為霸則是因為他通曉事理。道德偏

狹了才憑藉智謀，恩德不厚了才憑藉刑罰，聖明不足

了才憑藉苛察。（憑藉智謀、刑罰、苛察，會產生不

同的弊端。）

97. A ruler is hailed as an emperor because he is a man of high virtues. He is hailed as a king because his righteousness is revered. He is hailed as a dominator because he understands very well how things work. Only when virtues have been compromised should one rely on strategy. Only when kindness is on the wane should one rely on punishment. Only when wisdom is inadequate should one rely on stringent policing.

Scroll 35: Wen Zi



98、天有時、地有財，能與人共之者，仁也。仁之所

在，天下歸之。免人之死、解人之難、救人之患、

濟人之急者，德也。德之所在，天下歸之。與人同憂

同樂、同好同惡者，義也。義之所在，天下歸之。凡

人惡死而樂生，好得而歸利。能生利者，道也。道之

所在，天下歸之。


【白話】天有四時、地有財富，能和人民共同享用，

就是仁愛。實施仁愛者，天下人就歸附他。使人民免

遭死亡、解除人民的困難、救助人民的災患、接濟人

民的急需，這些就是恩德。廣施恩德者，天下人就歸

順他。和人民同憂同樂、同好同惡，就是義。踐行道

義者，天下人就歸附他。所有的人都害怕死亡而樂於

生存，喜歡得到好處和利益。能使天下人都獲得利益

的，就是道。有道者，天下人就歸附他。

98. Heaven has its seasons and the earth is rich in its resources. Sharing these assets of nature with everyone is benevolence. Where there is benevolence, people will pledge their allegiance readily. Sparing people

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from death, eliminating their hardships, rescuing them from disasters and helping those in need are acts of virtue. Where there is loving-kindness, the people will pledge their full support. Sharing hardships, pleasures, likes, and dislikes with the people are acts of righteousness. Where there is righteousness, people will pledge their allegiance. In fact, humans fear death and enjoy pleasure in life. They like to obtain benefits and advantages. To obtain benefits for all the people, that is Dao (the Great Way). Where there is Dao, people will pledge their allegiance.

Scroll 31: Liu Tao



99、文王問太公曰：「先聖之道可得聞乎？」太公

曰：「義勝欲則昌，欲勝義則亡，敬勝怠則吉，怠勝

敬則滅。故義勝怠①者王，怠勝敬者亡。」


【註釋】①怠：據前文之意，此「怠」字疑當作

「欲」，譯文按欲字翻譯。

【白話】文王問太公：「先世的聖人之道可以講給我

聽聽嗎？」太公答：「道義勝過私欲，國家就會昌

盛；私欲勝過道義，國家就會衰亡；敬慎勝過怠慢，

則諸事吉祥；怠慢勝過敬慎，則功業毀滅。所以道義

勝過私欲者可以統治國家，怠慢勝過敬慎者就會滅

亡。」

99. King Wen of the Zhou dynasty asked Tai Gong: “May I know more about the Dao of the ancient sages?”

Tai Gong answered: “When righteousness overcomes desire, a country will flourish. When desire overcomes righteousness, a country will perish. When respectfulness overcomes arrogance, everything will be auspicious; when

139

arrogance overcomes respectfulness, all achievements will be destroyed. Therefore, a government that lets righteousness prevail over selfish desires will rule effectively, and a government that lets arrogance prevail over respectfulness will be destroyed.”

Scroll 31: Liu Tao



100、道德仁義定，而天下正。


【白話】道德仁義落實之後，天下便自然歸於正道。

100. When morality, code of ethics, benevolence and righteousness are observed, the world will naturally revert to its right path.


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101、有道以理①之，法雖少足以治矣；無道以臨②

之，命③雖眾足以亂矣。


【註釋】①理：治理。②臨：監視，監臨。引申為統

治、治理。③命：政令。

【白話】遵循道來治理天下，法規雖少，卻足以使天

下太平安定；不遵循道來統治天下，命令雖然眾多，

卻只能使天下混亂。

101. When Dao (the Great Way) is implemented in governing, there is peace and stability in the country despite having few rules. Against the Dao, rules might be plenty but they will only bring confusion and chaos to the country.

Scroll 35: Wen Zi



102、天反時為災，寒暑易節。地反物為妖，群物失性。民反

德為亂，亂則妖災生。


【白話】上天不按四時運行就會發生災害，大地違反

萬物常性就會發生妖異，人民違反德義就生出禍亂，

有了禍亂就會發生災害和怪異。

102. “If the order of the four seasons is interrupted, disasters will follow. If the earth reverses the order of nature, strange phenomena will appear.” This means that if the people reject virtues and righteousness, chaos will arise; and when chaos arises, disasters and strange phenomena will prevail.


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二、孝悌

Filial Piety and Kinship

103、夫孝敬仁義，百行之首，而立身之本也。孝敬

則宗族安之，仁義則鄉黨①重之。此行成於內，名著

於外者矣。


【註釋】①鄉黨：同鄉；鄉親。

【白話】孝敬、仁義，是各種品行當中最重要的，也

是為人處世的根本。能孝敬，則家族內部就會安定；

有仁義，則會受到鄉親們的尊重。這就是德行養成於

自身，好的名聲就會顯揚在外了。

103. Both filial piety and respectfulness, as well as benevolence and righteousness are the pinnacles of moral conduct and the basic guidelines in our daily life. Filial piety and respectfulness bring stability to the family and the entire clan. With benevolence and righteousness, we gain respect from people in the neighbourhood. As we cultivate virtues, our good reputation will be attained as time goes by.




104、夫人為子之道，莫大於寶身①全行②，以顯父

母。


【註釋】①寶身：珍惜身軀。②全行：品行完美無

缺。

【白話】為人子之道，沒有比愛惜自己的身體，保持

良好的品行，從而讓父母因子女賢德而得到榮耀更重

要的了。

104. In our role as sons and daughters, nothing is more important than taking good care of our physical well-being and maintaining a moral conduct that will glorify our parents.


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105、曾子曰：「孝子之養老，樂其耳目，安其寢

處，以其飲食忠養①之。父母之所愛亦愛之，父母之

所敬亦敬之。」


【註釋】①忠養：指盡心誠敬奉養父母，不僅僅是照

顧父母的身體而已。

【白話】曾子說：「孝子奉養父母，敬備禮樂以使父

母的耳目愉悅，要使父母的寢處起居安適，對於飲食

各方面，都要盡心仔細地照料和侍奉。父母所鍾愛的

自己也應鍾愛，父母所恭敬的自己也恭敬。」

105. Zengzi said: “When a filial son serves his parents, he would let them enjoy listening to melodious music, provide them with comfortable living facilities and serve them caringly with appropriate food and drinks. In addition, he would love what his parents love and revere what they revere.”

Scroll 7: Li Ji



106、人之事親也，不去乎父母之側，不倦乎勞辱①之

事，唯父母之所言也，唯父母之所欲也。於其體之不

安，則不能寢；於其飡②之不飽，則不能食。孜孜③

為此，以沒其身。

（卷四十五　昌言）

【註釋】①勞辱：猶勞苦。亦指勞苦之事。②飡：同

「餐」。③孜孜：勤勉，不懈怠。

【白話】人子侍奉雙親，不離開父母的身旁，不厭煩

勞苦之事，恭恭敬敬聽從父母的話不違背，體恤父母

的需要盡力侍奉。父母身體不安，自己就無法安睡；

父母沒吃飽，自己就無法進食。勤勉不懈於此，終身

不改。

106. As children we should serve our parents and never leave them alone. Do not get bored with laborious chores. Respectfully listen to our parents’ advice and do not dishonor them. Understand their needs and try our best to fulfill them. When our parents are ill, we should not sleep soundly, and when they have not finished taking

147

their meal, we should not enjoy our meal before them. Observe these duties diligently and put them into practice for the rest of our lives.

Scroll 45: Chang Yan



107、禮以將其力，敬以入其忠。《詩》言：「夙興①

夜寐，毋忝②爾所生。」不恥其親，君子之孝也。


【註釋】①興：起身。②忝：音 t iǎn／ㄊㄧㄢˇ。

羞辱。

【白話】遵照禮儀來盡力侍奉父母，要把恭敬融入盡

孝的真誠心裡。《詩經‧小雅‧小苑》說：「早起晚

睡勤奮不懈，無愧於生養你的父母。」說的是孝子一

刻也不放鬆自己，不讓父母蒙受羞恥，這是君子的

孝。

107. When attending to our parents, we should be respectful and sincere in performing our filial duties. Shi Jing said: “Rising early and retiring late for you have worked hard, so as not to disgrace your parents who gave you life and nourishment.” This denotes that a filial child is well- disciplined, hardworking, and will never bring disgrace to his parents. This is the filial piety shown by Junzi, a man of noble character.

Scroll 35: Zeng Zi

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108、曾子曰：「若夫慈愛、恭敬、安親①、揚名，

則聞命矣，敢問子從父之命，可謂孝乎？」子曰：

「是何言與！是何言與！昔者，天子有爭②臣七人，

雖無道，不失其天下；七人者，謂大師、大保、大傅、左輔、右弼、前

疑、後丞。維持王者，使不危殆。諸侯有爭臣五人，雖無道，不失

其國；大夫有爭臣三人，雖無道，不失其家；尊卑輔善，

未聞其官。士有爭友，則身不離於令③名；令，善也。士卑無臣，故

以賢友助已。父有爭子，則身不陷於不義。故當不義則爭

之。從父之命，又焉得為孝乎？」委曲從父命，善亦從善，惡亦

從惡，而心有隱，豈得為孝乎。

（卷九　孝經）

【註釋】①安親：使父母安寧；孝養父母。②爭：

音zhèng／ㄓㄥˋ。通「諍」。諍諫；規勸。③令：

善；美好。

【白話】曾子說：「關於慈愛、恭敬、安親、揚名的

道理，學生已經聽您講過了，請問為人子的一切都聽

從父母的命令，可以說是孝嗎？」孔子說：「這是什

麼話！這是什麼話！在古時候，天子有七位直言諫諍



之臣，即便天子無道，還不會失掉其天下；諸侯有五

位直言諫諍之臣，即便諸侯無道，還不會失掉其國；

卿大夫有三位直言諫諍之家臣，即便大夫無道，還不

會失掉其家；士人若有直言規勸的朋友，則自己不會

失掉美好的名聲；如果父母有以道義勸諫自己改過的

兒女，自身就不會陷於不義。所以面對父母、領導、

朋友不合道義的思想言行，應當要勸諫。一味盲從父

母的號令，怎麼能夠稱為孝呢？」

108. Zengzi said: “Teacher, I have attended your lectures on kindness, respectfulness, caring for our parents, and glorifying their names. May I know whether sheer obedience to our parents is considered filial piety?”

Confucius said: “What nonsense is this! What nonsense is this! In the ancient times, if the Son of Heaven (the ruler) had seven ministers who would remonstrate with him, although he did not abide by the Dao, he would not lose his kingdom. If the lord of a state had five such ministers, although he did not abide by the Dao, he would not lose his state. If a bureaucrat had three such ministers,

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although he did not abide by the Dao, he would not lose the headship of his clan. If an officer had friends who would remonstrate with him, he would not lose his good name. Parents whose children used to remonstrate with them to correct their faults would not ruin the reputation of the family. Therefore, as far as the inappropriate conducts of parents, leaders or friends are concerned, we should by all means remonstrate with them in order to rectify their shortcomings. So, how could listening blindly to our parents’ instructions be considered filial piety?”

Scroll 9: Xiao Jing



109、夫兄弟者，左右手也。譬人將鬥而斷其右手，

而曰我必勝，若是者可乎？夫棄兄弟而不親，天下其

孰親之？


【白話】兄弟之間就像人的左右手。比如有人將要打

鬥時，卻砍斷自己的右手，反而說我一定能取勝，像

這樣可能嗎？拋棄親兄弟而不親近，天下人還有誰可

以親近呢？

109. Siblings are like the left and right hands of a man. For instance, if a man about to engage in a fight were to cut off his right hand and claim that he can win the fight, does this make sense? Will a man who abandons and distances himself from his siblings be able to befriend anyone?


153

三、仁義

Benevolence and Righteousness

110、所謂仁者，愛人者也。愛人，父母之行也。

為民父母，故能興天下之利也。所謂義者，能辨物理①者也。物得理，故能除天下之害也。興利除害者，

則賢人之業也。


【註釋】①物理：事物的道理、規律。

【白話】所謂「仁」，就是愛人。愛人，是為人父母

的品行。能像父母一樣愛護人民，所以能興辦有利於

天下百姓的事。所謂「義」，是能辨別事物的道理。

做事合情合理，所以能為天下百姓消除災害。興利除

害，是賢人的事業。

110. Being Benevolent (Ren) 仁means showing loving-kindness to others. Loving-kindness is the moral character of parents. If the rulers care for the people with this parental love, they will implement plans that will benefit the people greatly. Being Righteous



(Yi) 義 means having the ability to discern right from wrong and carrying out appropriate actions at the right time, which eliminates disasters for everyone. Doing what is beneficial for the people and eliminating disasters are meant to be the mission of men of virtues.


155

111、凡人所以貴於禽獸者，以有仁愛，知相敬事也。

（卷二十一　後漢書一）

【白話】人比禽獸可貴的地方，就是因為有仁愛之

心，知道互相尊敬對待。

111. In comparison to animals, the noble truth about human beings is that they are capable of showing loving-kindness and mutual respect for one another.




112、仁者行之宗，忠者義之主也。仁不遺舊，忠不

忘君，行之高者也。


【白話】仁厚是德行的根本，忠誠是道義的要素。仁

厚的人不會遺棄疏遠故舊，忠誠的人不會忘記領導

（的恩德），這是高尚的品行。

112. Benevolence is the root of all virtues, and faithfulness is the key to righteousness. A benevolent person will never distance himself from old friends, and a faithful person will never disregard his superiors. This is the noble virtue.


157

113、周家忠厚，仁及草木，故能內睦於九族，外尊

事黃耇①。養老乞②言，以成其福祿焉。乞言，從求善言，可以

為政者也。


【註釋】①黃耇：指年老的人。耇，音gǒu／ㄍㄡˇ。老年人。②乞：祈求；請求。

【白話】周室王族忠厚治國，仁愛延及草木，所以對

內能使九族和睦，對外能尊敬老人。恭敬供養老人並

虛心請教，所以才積累了綿長的福報。

113. Members of the imperial household of the Zhou dynasty were honest and tolerant, so much so that they would even shower kindness to every plant and every tree. Thus, they were able to keep peace among their clans and show due respect to other elders. They provided for the elders and humbly sought advice from them, and so accumulated long-lasting blessings for the Zhou dynasty.

Scroll 3: Mao Shi



114、聖人之於天下也，譬猶一堂之上也。今有滿堂

飲酒者，有一人獨索然向隅而泣，則一堂之人皆不樂

矣。聖人之於天下也，譬猶一堂之上也，有一人不得

其所者，則孝子不敢以其物薦進①也。


【註釋】①薦進：進獻。薦，進獻；送上。進，進

奉；奉獻。

【白話】聖人治理天下就如同處在廳堂之上，假如滿

堂的人都在飲酒，但有一個人獨自對著牆角哭泣，那

麼滿堂的人都會不愉快了。聖人治理天下就好像處在

廳堂之上，哪怕只有一個人還未得到適當的安置，那

麼即使是身為孝子也不敢將他的物品即刻就進獻上

來。

114. As a wise ruler, presiding in the imperial court can be likened to a chairman sitting in an assembly hall. If there is one person sobbing in a corner, all the people in the hall would stop rejoicing. As the role of presiding in the imperial court is no different from a chairman in

159

an assembly hall, a wise ruler would see that everyone in the hall is appropriately seated before a filial son could come forward to present gifts to his father.




115、咎繇曰：「帝德罔諐①。臨下以簡，御眾以寬；諐，過也。善則歸君，人臣之義也。罰弗及嗣，賞延於世；嗣亦世也。

延，及也。父子罪不相及也。而及其賞，道德之政也。宥過②無大，刑故③無

小；過誤所犯，雖大必宥。不忌故犯，雖小必刑也。罪疑惟輕，功疑惟

重；刑疑附輕，賞疑從重，忠厚至也。與其殺弗辜，寧失不經④。」

（卷二　尚書）

【註釋】①諐：音qiān／ㄑㄧㄢ。古同「愆」。罪

過，過失。②宥過：寬恕別人的過錯。③刑故：處罰

故意罪犯。④經：常道。指常行的義理、準則、法

制。

【白話】咎繇說：「舜帝您品德高尚，沒有過失。以

簡要、不煩擾的方式對待下屬，以寬緩的方式管理人

民；懲罰不株連子孫，賞賜卻延及後代；誤犯之罪再

大也可以寬赦，故意犯罪再小也必定懲罰；處罰犯罪

有疑慮時寧可從輕，獎賞立功有疑慮時寧可從重；與

其錯殺無罪之人，寧可失之於不守常規。」

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115. Minister Gao Yao17 expressed his opinions to Emperor Shun: “Your Majesty has a moral conduct that is noble and has not committed errors so far. You give simple but precise instructions to your subordinates and govern the people with leniency. Punishments will not be imposed on the offspring of the offenders, whereas rewards will be given to the descendants of the award recipient. Crimes committed out of mistake could be pardoned, but intentional offenses, no matter how minor, would be punished. When doubtful of deciding a sentence, you choose to impose lighter punishment; when doubtful of presenting a meritorious award, you choose to reward handsomely. You would rather be blamed for disrupting investigation procedures than to put innocent people to death by mistake.”

Scroll 2: Shang Shu

17 Gao Yao 皋陶 served the legendary emperors Yao 堯, Shun 舜 and Yu 禹 dated as far back as 2350 BC. He was appointed Chief Justice by Emperor Shun and considered to be the originator of Chinese judiciary law.



116、子貢問曰：「有一言①而可終身行者乎？」

子曰：「其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施於人。」


【註釋】①言：此處指一個字。

【白話】子貢問孔子說：「有沒有一個字可以終身依

之而行呢？」孔子說：「那就是恕字吧！自己不願接

受的事，不要加在別人身上。」

116. Zigong said: “Is there a word that one can hold permanently to one’s heart?” Confucius said: “It is this word, Shu18 (forgiveness)—What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”

Scroll 9: Lun Yu

18 Shu, 恕

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117、聖人以仁義為準繩，中繩者謂之君子，弗中者

謂之小人。君子雖死亡，其名不滅；小人雖得勢，其

罪不除。左手據天下之圖，而右手刎其喉，愚者不

為。身貴乎天下也，死君親之難者，視死若歸，義重

於身故也。天下大利，比（比下有之仁二字）身即小；身所

重也，比義即輕。此以仁義為準繩者也。


【白話】聖人以仁義作為心行的準則，符合仁義標準

的人就是君子，不符合的就是小人。君子雖然去世，

但他的聲名不會消失；小人雖一時得勢，但他的罪惡

卻難以消除。左手掌握天下的版圖（大權），而右手

自割其喉嚨，即使愚昧的人也不會這樣做，因為生命

比天下更為寶貴。為君王和父母的危難而犧牲的人，

能視死如歸，是把「義」看得比生命還重要的緣故。

擁有天下是極大的利益，但同生命相比也是渺小的；

生命是極其寶貴的，但同道義相比也是輕微的。以仁

義做為準則的人就是這個樣子。



117. The sages regard benevolence and righteousness to be the norm of a noble person (Junzi)—one who meets this norm is a Junzi, whereas one who does not is a scoundrel. Although a Junzi might die, his reputation lives on. A scoundrel might hold important positions, but the crimes he committed will never be easily eliminated. Holding a vast territory with the left hand and slitting his own throat with the right hand is something not even a fool would do, for human life is much more precious than winning over the world. However, a man who could sacrifice his life to save the ruler and his own parents from danger values righteousness more than his own life. Owning the whole kingdom has immeasurable benefits, but it is insignificant when compared to one’s life. Life is precious, but it is insignificant as compared to righteousness. Such is the behavior of people who regard benevolence and righteousness as their norm in life.

Scroll 35: Wen Zi

165

118、孔子曰：「不義而富且貴，於我如浮雲。」

（卷四十八　體論）

【白話】孔子說：「用不合乎道義的手段得到的富與

貴，對於我，就如同天上聚散不定的浮雲一樣，不值

得花費心思去追逐。」

118. Confucius said: “Riches and honor acquired through unscrupulous means are like the unpredictable floating clouds, which to me are never worth going after.”

Scroll 48: Ti Lun



119、子曰：「君子無終食之間違仁。造次①必於是，

顛沛②必於是。」造次，急遽也。顛沛，僵仆也。雖急遽僵仆不違仁也。


【註釋】①造次：倉猝；匆忙。②顛沛：仆倒。比喻

世道衰亂或人事挫折。

【白話】孔子說：「君子即便是一頓飯這樣短的時

間，也不會離開仁。倉促不暇之時，他的心一定在

仁；危險困厄之際，他的心一定在仁。」

119. Confucius said: “A man of noble character (Junzi) would never act contrary to benevolence, even in between a short meal interval. In moments of haste, he sticks fast to it; in times of danger, he sticks fast to it.”

Scroll 9: Lun Yu

167

120、孟軻稱：「殺一無辜以取天下，仁者不為也①。」


【註釋】①殺一無辜以取天下，仁者不為也：語出

《孟子•公孫丑》，「行一不義，殺一不辜，而得天

下，皆不為也。」

【白話】孟子說：「即使殺一個無辜的人便能夠獲得

天下，仁德之人也是不會做的。」

120. Mengzi said: “A benevolent person will never kill an innocent man, even if it is the way to win the throne.”




121、未有仁而遺其親者也，未有義而後其君者也。

（卷三十七　孟子）

【白話】不會有講求仁愛，卻遺棄自己父母的人；也

不會有講求道義，卻不以國君做為優先考量的人。

121. There has never been a benevolent person who would abandon his own parents, and a righteous person who does not honor his ruler with due respect.

Scroll 37: Meng Zi

169

122、有功離仁義者，即見疑；有罪不失仁心（不失仁心

作有仁義)者，必見信。故仁義者，事之常順①也，天下

之尊爵也。雖謀得計當，慮患而患解，圖國而國存，

其事有離仁義者，其功必不遂矣。


【註釋】①常順：指自然之性。

【白話】有功勞卻喪失了仁義之心，就會被懷疑；

有罪過卻沒有喪失仁義之心，一定會得到信任。所

以，仁義是做任何事都要依循的常道，是天下最為尊

貴的品德。雖然計謀得當，事先考慮預防禍患而禍患

也得以消除，謀劃著立國而國家也得以建立，但是如

果所做的事有違背仁義的地方，其功業一定不會圓滿

實現。

122. Those who made contributions but disregarded benevolence will cause doubts and suspicions in others’ minds. Those who committed offenses but upheld benevolence and righteousness can gain the trust of others. Therefore, benevolence and righteousness should be the



moral guidelines in everything we do, as they are the noblest virtues. Although cautious strategies can be devised to prevent disasters from happening, and nation building can materialize in a given time, a government that goes against benevolence and righteousness will not achieve a complete success in its undertakings.

Scroll 35: Wen Zi

171

四、誠信

Be Sincere and Trustworthy

123、開至公之路，秉至平之心，執大象①而致之，亦

云誠而已矣。夫任誠，天地可感，而況於人乎？


【註釋】①大象：大道，常理。

【白話】開闢極其公正的進賢之路，秉持至為平等的

心，把握治國大綱而自然招感賢才，說的也就是真誠

而已。真正有了誠意，天地都能被感動，何況人呢？

123. Provide equal opportunities for worthy people to join the government and uphold fairness and principles in governmental administration. In this way, worthy people will naturally be keen to join the government. With utmost sincerity, heaven and earth will be moved, let alone human.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



124、夫為人上，竭至誠開信以待下，則懷信者歡然

而樂進；不信者赧然而回意矣。


【白話】在上位者，若竭盡至誠至信來對待在下者，

則有誠信的人就會歡喜並樂於效勞；缺少誠信的人，

也會羞愧而回心轉意。

124. If a man in high position could treat his subordinates sincerely and earn their trust, trustworthy persons will be keen to serve him while insincere people will feel regretful and change to respect him instead.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi

173

125、夫信之於民，國家大寶也。仲尼曰：「自古皆

有死，民非信不立。」


【白話】取信於民，是一個國家非常寶貴的財富。

孔子說：「自古以來人都免不了死亡，如果失去了百

姓的信任，國家便無法安立。」

125. The trust placed by the people on their government is the most valuable asset of any country. Confucius said: “Since the dawn of time, death is inevitable to everyone; but if the people have lost faith in their rulers, there will be no peace in the country.”




126、君之任臣，如身之信手；臣之事君，亦宜如手

之繫①身。安則共樂，痛則同憂。其上下協心，以

治世事，不俟②命而自勤，不求容③而自親。何則？

相信之忠著也。

（卷四十八　典語）

【註釋】①繫：聯綴；歸屬。②俟：音sì／ㄙˋ。

等待。③求容：取悅。

【白話】領導人任用下屬，就像身體信任自己的手；

下屬服務於領導人，也應當像手歸屬於身體。安適則

共同歡樂，疼痛則一起憂愁。上下協同一心，治理國

家事務，不須命令就自能勤奮，不為取悅而自然親

近。為什麼會這樣呢？這是彼此信任非常深厚的表

現。

126. The manner a ruler delegates duties to his officials can be likened to the body entrusting jobs to its hands; and the way the officials serve their ruler can be likened to the hands that belong to the body—both sharing joy in times of comfort, and sharing sorrow in times of suffering.

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When the ruler and his officials work together to cope with administrative issues, the latter will naturally work hard and share delightful moments with him. Why is this so? This is due to the unwavering mutual trust binding them.

Scroll 48: Dian Yu



127、子張問行。子曰：「言忠信，行篤敬，雖蠻貊①

之邦行矣。言不忠信，行不篤敬，雖州里②行乎哉？」行乎哉，言不可行也。子張書諸紳③。紳，大帶也。


【註釋】①蠻貊：音mán mò／ㄇㄢˊ ㄇㄛˋ。古代

稱南方和北方未開化的部族。亦泛指四方未開化的部

族。②州里：古代二千五百家為州，二十五家為里。

本為行政建制，後泛指鄉里或本土。③紳：古代士大

夫束於腰間，一頭下垂的大帶。

【白話】子張問做事情怎樣才能行得通。孔子說：

「一個人只要說話忠實守信，行為厚道恭敬，即使到

了邊遠的未開化的部族，也無往而不可行。假如說話

不忠實守信，行為不厚道恭敬，即使在自己的家鄉，

難道就能行得通嗎？」子張把孔子的話恭恭敬敬地寫

在衣帶上，以便隨身記誦，依照實行。

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127. Zizhang asked his teacher how a man should conduct himself. Confucius said: “Let his words be honest and truthful, and his actions be earnest and respectful. Such conduct will be appreciated even among the uncivilized tribes. If his words are not honest and truthful, and his actions are not earnest and respectful, will he, with such conduct, be appreciated in his neighborhood?” Zizhang respectfully wrote this advice on the end of his sash to remind himself.

Scroll 9: Lun Yu



128、子曰：「人而無信，不知其可也！無信，其餘終無可

也。大車無輗，小車無軏，其何以行之哉？」大車，牛車。

輗，轅端橫木以縛軛者。小車，駟馬車。軏，轅端上曲鉤衡者也。


【白話】孔子說：「一個人若無信用，不知他除信以

外還有哪一條不錯？正如牛拉的大車沒有了連接牛與

車的木頭，馬拉的輕車沒有了鉤住馬和車的鉤子，如

何使車子行走呢？」

128. Confucius said: “If a person is not trustworthy, what other virtues could he possess? How could a bullock cart operate without the crossbar for yoking the oxen, or a small cart without the axle for yoking the horses be made to go?”

Scroll 9: Lun Yu

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129、信不可知，義無所立。


【白話】如果信不能明顯可見，義就失去了依之而立

的基礎。

129. If trustworthiness is not upheld, there are no grounds for righteousness to be established.




五、正己

Righting Oneself

130、君子敬以直內，義以方外，敬義立而德不孤。


【白話】君子以恭敬持重來端正自己的內心，以正當

適宜來規範外在的事物。能夠做到內心恭敬、處事適

宜，他的德業就廣博而不孤立（眾人也會以敬、義回

應他）。

130. A man of noble character (Junzi) upholds respectful-ness to correct his mind, and display righteousness in all his actions. As such, he will never be isolated (as his exemplary role to others earns the due respect from people around him).

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

181

131、子曰：「苟正其身，於從政乎何有？不能正其

身，如正人何？」


【白話】孔子說：「果真能夠端正自己本身，從事政

治何難之有？若不能正己，如何正人？」

131. Confucius said: “If a minister can make his own conduct correct, what difficulty will he have in government? If he cannot rectify himself, how can he rectify others?”

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Righting Oneself


132、天覆之，地載之，聖人治之。聖人之身猶日

也，夫日圓尺，光盈①天地。聖人之身小，其所燭遠②，聖人正己，而四方治矣。


【註釋】①盈：充滿。②燭遠：光照遠方。比喻澤及

遠方。

【白話】上天覆蓋萬物，大地承載萬物，聖人治理萬

物。聖人就好像太陽一樣，太陽看起來只像圓周一尺

那麼大的圓，卻能光明普照天地萬物。聖人的身體雖

小，卻能光照千里，恩澤遠方。聖人端正自己的思

想、言行，天下就能得到治理。

132. Heaven encompasses all things; earth sustains all things; the sages govern all things that come their way. Sages can be likened to the sun, despite seemingly a foot in circumference, it can illuminate all things under heaven and earth. The sages’ physique may be small and yet their kindness can spread far and wide. For as long as the sages’ thoughts, speech and actions are upright, the world will enjoy peace and order.

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133、孔子，匹夫①之人耳，以樂道正身不懈之故，四

海之內，天下之君，微②孔子之言，無所折中③。


【註釋】①匹夫：古代指平民中的男子。亦泛指平民

百姓。②微：如果沒有。③折中：取正，用為判斷事

物的準則。

【白話】孔子，不過是個普通百姓，因為不懈地追求

聖賢之道端正自身的緣故，如今四海之內，天下的君

主，如果沒有孔子的言論，就沒有辦法調和太過與不

及，以使處事得當合理。

133. Confucius was but a common man who kept on learning from the sages and aligned his conduct with their teachings. Without the teachings of Confucius, rulers of the four seas would have no basis to gauge the performance of their administration.


Righting Oneself


134、故不仁愛則不能群，不能群則不勝物，不勝物

則養不足。群而不足，爭心將作。上聖①卓然，先行

敬讓博愛之德者，眾心悅而從之。從之成群，是為君

矣；歸而往之，是為王矣。

（卷十四　漢書二）

【註釋】①上聖：猶前聖。指前代的帝王與聖賢。

【白話】所以不仁愛，就不能形成和睦的群體，不能

形成和睦群體就無法善用外物，不能善用外物，人們

生活所需就會不足。組成了群體而生活所需不足，

爭鬥之心就會產生。前代的聖人高遠地率先躬行敬讓

博愛之德，人民就心悅誠服地跟隨他。跟隨他的人愈

來愈多，形成了群體，這個人就成了首領；遠近的人

都爭著前來歸附他，這個人就成為王者了。

134. If there is no compassion there will not be harmonious communities. If there are no harmonious communities, resources will not be utilized properly and this will create a shortage in the supply of daily necessities. With the shortage in daily necessities, rivalry among the people will

be provoked. Thus in ancient times, a man of virtues would cultivate respectfulness, forbearance and loving-kindness to win the support of the people. As his supporters increased, communities were formed, and this man became their leader. As people from far and wide came to pledge their allegiance to him, this leader hence became a ruler.

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Righting Oneself 185


135、修厥身，允德①協②於下，惟明后。言修其身，使信德合

於群下，惟乃明君。先王子惠③困窮，民服厥命，罔有弗悅。言湯子愛困窮之人，使皆得其所，故民心服其教令，無有不欣喜也。奉先④思孝，

接下思恭。以念祖德為孝，以不驕慢為恭也。視遠惟明，聽德⑤惟

聰。言當以明視遠，以聰聽德。


【註釋】①允德：誠信之德。②協：協和。③子惠：

慈愛；施以仁惠。子，待如己子，慈愛。④奉先：祭

祀祖先。⑤聽德：謂聽用有德之言。

【白話】注重自身修養，以誠信之美德諧和民眾，這

才是英明的帝王。先王像愛護子女一樣愛護困苦貧窮

之人，人民都順從他的命令，沒有不高興的。奉祀祖

先，必心存孝敬；接近臣民，必心存謙恭。能夠看得

長遠，才叫做眼明；能夠聽從有德之人的善言，才叫

做耳聰。

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135. A wise ruler is one who is mindful of self-cultivation and inspires his people through honesty and sincerity. Ancient wise rulers loved and cared for the poor as if they were their own children. Thus, people obeyed their orders, and everyone was happy. When making offerings to their ancestors, the ancient rulers were filial and respectful. When working closely with their subordinates and people, they were humble and considerate. So, if he could see far and wide he was said to have “good vision”; and said to have “good listening skills” if he could heed constructive advice from wise subordinates.

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Righting Oneself


136、未有身治正而臣下邪者也。……未有閨門①治而

天下亂者也。……未有左右正而百官枉者也。……

未有功賞得於前，眾賢布於官而不治者也。……未有

德厚吏良而民畔②者也。

（卷二十　漢書八）

【註釋】①閨門：宮苑、內室的門。借指宮廷、

家庭。②畔：通「叛」。違背；背離。

【白話】不曾有君主自身修治中正而臣下奸邪

的。……不曾有君主宮廷內修整而天下混亂的。……

不曾有左右近臣正直而百官不正的。……不曾有論功

行賞實行在前，眾多有才智的人安置在官位上而國家

不太平的。……不曾有君主德行淳厚、官吏賢良，而

百姓叛亂的。

136. There would not be any unrighteous ministers serving under a virtuous ruler… there would not be disorder in the country if the ruler could run his administration with law and order…there would not be corrupted officials around if senior officials are stern and upright… there would not

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be chaos and unrest after the ruler has bestowed rewards according to merits and appointed worthy people to high positions… and there would not be any rebellion by the peasants if the ruler is virtuous and his subordinates are noble.


Righting Oneself


137、救寒莫如重裘①，止謗莫如自修，斯言信矣。


【註釋】①重裘：厚毛皮衣。重，音chóng／ㄔㄨㄥˊ。

【白話】諺語說：要防止寒冷，沒有比穿上厚皮衣更

有效的了；要止息謗言，沒有比修養自己的德行更好

的了。這話真是不虛啊！

137. An idiom said: “To fight the freezing cold, nothing is more effective than putting on a thick fur coat; to stop rumors from spreading, nothing is more effective than cultivating one’s virtues.” These are indeed words of wisdom!


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六、度量

Magnanimity

138、君子己善，亦樂人之善也；己能，亦樂人之能

也。君子好人之為善而弗趍①（趍作趣，音促也），惡人之為

不善而弗疾也，不先人以惡，不疑人以不信，不說②

人之過，而成人之美。


【註釋】①趍：音cù／ㄘㄨˋ。同「趨」。催迫；催

促。②說：後作「悅」。喜悅；高興。

【白話】君子自己德行良善，也歡喜別人德行良善；

自己有才能，也歡喜別人有才能。君子喜歡別人行善

卻不催促逼迫，討厭別人作惡卻不嫉惡如仇，不先料

想別人品行不好，不懷疑別人不守信用，不對別人的

過錯感到幸災樂禍，而是成全別人的善心善行。

138. A man of noble character (Junzi) is virtuous and he delights in others who are virtuous. He is competent and he delights in others who are competent. Although he appreciates the practice of good deeds, he will never force others to do so. He despises deviant individuals but he will not detest them as if they were his enemies. He will neither

Magnanimity


presume the conduct of others to be indecent, nor suspect others to be untrustworthy. He does not take pleasure in others’ mistakes but assists others in accomplishing acts of kindness.

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139、故曰：「記人之功，忘人之過，宜為君者也①。」

人有厚德，無問其小節；人有大譽，無訾②其小故。

自古及今，未有能全其行者也。


【註釋】①記人之功，忘人之過，宜為君者也：語出

《周書》。②訾：音zǐ／ㄗˇ。詆毀；指責。

【白話】所以說：「記住人的功績，忘記人的過錯，

這樣的人適合當君主。」一個人如果具有淳厚的美

德，就不要追究他的小節；一個人如果擁有很大的聲

譽，就不要指責他的小過失。從古自今，沒有品行十

全十美的人。

139. Thus it is said: “Those who remember the contribu-tions of others and forgive their mistakes can become good leaders.” To a man of great virtues, do not investigate the small matters concerning his personal life. To a man of great reputation, do not criticize his minor faults. From ancient times until today, there has never been a person whose moral conduct is perfect.

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Magnanimity


140、漢高祖山東之匹夫①也，起兵之日，天下英賢奔

走而歸之，賢士輻湊②而樂為之用，是以王天下，而

莫之能禦。唯其以簡節寬大，受天下之物故也。


【註釋】①匹夫：普通人。②輻湊：車輻會聚於轂。

形容人物的聚集和稠密。

【白話】漢高祖原是崤山以東的一個普通人，起兵之

時，天下的英雄豪傑爭先恐後地歸順他，賢良之人群

聚而樂於為他所用，所以能夠統一天下，沒有人能夠

阻擋他。只因他法令簡略，心量寬大，能包容天下各

類人才（讓他們各自發揮所長）。

140. Emperor Gaozu of the Han dynasty was a civilian from a region east of Xiaoshan. When he decided to raise an army, magnificent men from all parts of the kingdom immediately joined him, while able and virtuous men came to serve him. Under his leadership, no one could stop him from winning the throne because the laws and

195

regulations he created were brief and clear, and he was a man of great tolerance who could accept all competent people to serve under him.


Magnanimity


七、謙虛

Humility

141、夫自足者不足，自明者不明。日月至光至大，

而有所不遍者，以其高於眾之上也。燈燭至微至小，

而無不可之者，以其明之下，能照日月之所蔽也。

（卷四十七　劉廙政論）

【白話】自以為完備的人其實並不完備，自以為聰明

的人其實並不聰明。太陽和月亮極其明亮巨大，但是

也有照不到的地方，因為它們高懸於萬物之上。燈燭

的火焰極小極微弱，但沒有不能去照的東西，因為它

在下面照，所以能照到陽光、月色照不到的地方。

141. Those who think they are perfect are in fact inadequate. Those who think they are intelligent are in fact mediocre. While the sun and the moon may be bright, they cannot light up every dark corner of the world for they are too high up in the sky. The glow of a candle may be weak, but it can light up any dark corner beyond the reach of the sun and the moon, for the source of glow is close to the ground.

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142、子曰：「勞而不伐，有功而不德，厚之至也！

語以其功下人者也。」


【白話】孔子說：「辛勤付出而不自我誇耀，有功績

而不自認為有功，這是敦厚到了極點啊！這是說君子

雖有功勳而能謙下對人。」

142. Confucius said: “He contributes assiduously but does not boast of it; he achieves merits but takes no credit from it. This is honest and sincerity at the greatest height. It means that a man of noble character (Junzi) has achieved great merit yet places himself below others.”

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

Humility


143、子路進曰：「敢問持滿有道乎？」子曰：「聰

明叡智，守之以愚；功被①天下，守之以讓；勇力振

世，守之以怯；富有四海，守之以謙。此所謂損之又

損之②之道也！」

（卷十　孔子家語）

【註釋】①被：覆蓋；遍布。②損之又損之：日益去

除華偽以歸於純樸無為。引申指盡可能謙抑。損，降

抑；克制。

【白話】子路上前問道：「請問夫子，想要保持盈滿

卻不傾倒，有辦法嗎？」夫子說：「聰明睿智，而又

能保持敦厚若愚的態度；功蓋天下，而又能保持禮讓

不爭的態度；勇力足以震撼世界，而又能保持小心畏

懼的態度；擁有四海的財富，而又能保持恭敬謙遜的

態度。這就是古人所說的『損之又損之』之道啊！」

143. Zilu drew near and asked Confucius: “Dear Teacher, may I ask if there is a method of holding something full without spilling it?”

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Confucius said: “While he is intelligent and wise, he appears to be slow-witted. While he has surpassed the world in his contributions, he is forbearing and non-confrontational. While his bravery is strong enough to astound the world, he remains careful and vigilant. While he owns a world of wealth, he remains respectful and humble. This is what the ancients decribed as the Way of Great Humility!”

Scroll 10: Kong Zi Jia Yu

Humility


144、蓋勞謙虛己，則附之者眾；驕慢倨傲，則去①之

者多矣。附之者眾，則安之徵也；去之者多，則危之

診②也。


【註釋】①去：離開。②診：症狀。

【白話】大凡有功勞卻仍謙遜的人，歸附他的人就

多；驕狂傲慢的人，背離他的人就多。歸附的人多，

是平安的徵兆；背離的人多，是危險的信號。

144. He who has made great contributions but remains humble and modest will win the support of many people. He who is proud and arrogant will lose the support of many people. The increase in pledges of allegiance is a good sign, but the increasing rate of abandonment is a sign of danger.


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145、知其榮，守其辱，為天下谷①。知己之有榮貴。當守之以污

濁。如是則天下歸之。如水流（流下有入字）深谷也。

（卷三十四　老子）

【註釋】①谷：水流匯聚的地方。

【白話】知道自己高貴光榮之處，卻能守住謙虛卑下

的態度，善盡本分，這樣，自然成為眾望所歸，如世

間百川所匯的深谷一般。

145. A leader understands his noble status and expertise, and keeps a very low profile while performing his duties. Thus, he has everyone readily pledging their allegiance to him, just like a huge valley that could contain hundreds of streams.

Scroll 34: Laozi

Humility


146、夫以賢而為人下，何人不與？以貴從人曲直，

何人不得？


【白話】自身賢德而能謙恭待人，誰會不跟隨他呢？

地位尊貴而能聽從接納他人的是非判斷，又有什麼人

才不能感召到呢？

146. If a man cultivates virtues and treats others respectfully, will anyone refuse to follow him? If a person with noble status accepts and heeds the advice of others, will any worthy man refuse to serve under him?

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147、夫能屈以為伸，讓以為得，弱以為強，鮮不遂①

矣。


【註釋】①不遂：不順利。

【白話】人如果能夠以屈為伸，以讓為得，以弱為

強，「天之道，損有餘以補不足」，只有這樣做，才

合於大道，才能長久，所以就很少會有不順利的。

147. If a man can retreat instead of advancing; forebearing instead of demanding; keeping a weak image instead of a strong one; then he is actually practicing the heavenly way, which “takes away the surplus and replenishes it to the insufficient.” Everything existing according to the law of nature would be lasting and is rarely unsuccessful.


Humility


148、自尊重之道，乃在乎以貴下賤，卑以自牧①也，

非此之謂也。乃衰薄之弊俗，膏盲②之廢疾，安共為

之？可悲者也！


【註釋】①自牧：自我修養。②膏肓：古代醫學以心

尖脂肪為膏，心臟與膈膜之間為肓。比喻難以救藥的

失誤或缺點。

【白話】自尊自重之道，就在於以尊貴的身分謙虛對

待低賤的人，用謙卑來修養自己，而並非這種驕傲的

態度。這種（驕傲的）做法，乃是衰敗的弊俗、是嚴

重的社會弊病，怎麼能大家都做這樣的事呢？真是可

悲啊！

148. In cultivating self-respect and self-esteem, a man of nobility should keep a low profile and respect people of inferior status as a way to humble oneself instead of being boastful and arrogant. Arrogance is a corrupt custom and a serious social illness that erodes moral values. Is this not lamentable when everyone likes to be boastful? How sad indeed!


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149、德盛弗狎侮①。盛德必自敬，何狎易侮慢之有也。狎侮君子②，

罔以盡人心；以虛受人，則人盡其心矣。狎侮小人③，罔以盡其

力。以悅使民，民忘其勞，則盡力矣。


【註釋】①狎侮：輕慢侮弄。②君子：此處指官

員。③小人：此處指百姓。

【白話】君王德行隆盛就不會輕忽侮慢他人。輕忽侮

慢官員，就沒有人替您盡心；輕忽侮慢百姓，就沒有

人替您盡力。

149. A virtuous ruler will not despise others. If he despises his officials, they will not serve him wholeheartedly; if he despises his people they will not render support to him.

Scroll 2: Shang Shu

Humility


150、能自得師者王，求聖賢而事之。謂人莫己若①者亡。自

多足，人莫之益，己亡之道。好問則裕，自用②則小。問則有得，所以足

也；不問專固，所以小也。


【註釋】①莫己若：以為別人都不如自己。②自用：

自行其是，不接受別人的意見。

【白話】能自己去尋求聖賢並以之為師者可以稱王，

認為沒有人能比得上自己的人終究會滅亡。謙虛好

問，才智就充足；自以為是，見識就狹隘。

150. He who seeks the virtuous as his teacher will win the throne one day. He who assumes no one else can be better than him will meet his downfall. By being humble and keen to learn, a person’s wisdom grows. By being conceited, a person will become narrow-minded.

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151、是故聰明廣智守以愚，多聞博辨①守以儉，武力勇毅守以畏，富貴廣大守以狹，德施②天下守以讓。此五者，先王所以守天下也。


【註釋】①博辨：從多方面論說；雄辯。辨，通「辯」。②德施：德澤恩施。

【白話】所以聰明多智之人應以愚鈍自守，博聞善辯之人應以收斂自守，勇武剛毅之人應以畏怯自守，富貴地廣之人應以狹小自守，恩德施及天下之人應以謙讓自守。這五點，就是古代聖明君王守住天下的原

因。

151. An intelligent and witty man should carry with him a dull image. A learned and eloquent man should carry with him a soft-spoken image. A valiant and firm man should carry with him a timid image. A rich landlord should carry with him a meager image. A man who contributed to the good of mankind should carry with him a modest approach. These five factors contributed greatly to the stability of ancient kingdoms under wise rulership.

Scroll 35: Wen Zi

Humility


八、謹慎

Be Discreet

152、人心惟危，道心惟微，惟精惟一，允執厥中。危則難安，微則難明，故戒以精一，信執其中也。無稽之言勿聽，弗詢①

之謀勿庸②。無考無信驗也，不詢專獨也。終必無成，故戒勿聽用也。


【註釋】①詢：問。②庸：用。

【白話】人心（人的欲望）是危險的，道心（倫理道

德）是微妙的，只有勇猛精進，住於一心，才能真正

把握中正（無過之、無不及）之道。沒有經典為根據

的話不要聽信，沒有徵求過賢明之人的謀略不要採

納。

152. Human craving is dangerous, while mindful cultivation of morality is subtle. Only through diligent cultivation and single-mindedness can one attain the middle path. One should never trust beliefs that are unfounded (in classical works) and should never adopt strategies that are yet to be approved by men of virtues.

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209

153、子曰：「君子居其室，出其言，善則千里之外

應之，況其邇者乎？居其室，出其言，不善則千里之

外違之，況其邇者乎？言出乎身加乎民，行發乎邇見

乎遠。言行，君子之樞機，樞機，制動之主。樞機之發，榮

辱之主也。言行，君子之所以動天地，可不慎乎？」


【白話】孔子說：「君子處在自家的庭院中，發出言

論之後，如果言論是美好的，那麼千里之外都能得到

回應，何況是近處呢？處在自家的庭院中，發出言論

之後，如果不是美好的，那麼千里之外也會背棄它，

何況近處呢？言論從他本身發出來，影響到民眾；行

動發生在近處，卻顯現在遠處。言論和行動，對君子

來說好比是門戶的轉軸或弓箭上的機關一樣，門軸和

機關的發動，關係到的是得到稱讚還是羞辱。言論和

行為，是君子能夠影響天地萬物的因素，怎能不慎重

呢？」

Be Discreet


153. Confucius said: “When a man of noble character (Junzi) made a meaningful speech at home, his words might spread to places more than a thousand miles away, and what’s more in the neighbourhood? On the other hand, if he made an inappropriate speech at home, his words might provoke others more than a thousand miles away, and what’s more in the neighbourhood? His speech has a telling effect on the people, and what he does at home might have an impact on others from faraway places. The speech and actions of a Junzi are like the hinges of the door and the spring of a crossbow. Their speedy movement brings about glorious or disgraceful consequences. Being so influential his speech and actions, how could a Junzi not be vigilant?”

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

211

154、無競①維人，四方其訓之。有覺德行，四國順

之。無競，競也。訓，教也。覺，直也。競，強也。人君為政，無強於得賢人。得賢

人，則天下教化於其俗。有大德行，則天下順從其政。言在上所以倡道之。敬慎威

儀②，維民之則。則，法也。慎爾出話，敬爾威儀，無不

柔嘉。話，善言也，謂教令也。白圭③之玷④，尚可磨也；斯言

之玷，不可為！玷，缺也。斯，此也。玉之玷缺，尚可磨鐻而平，人君政教

一失，誰能反覆之也。


【註釋】①競：強盛；強勁。②威儀：莊重的儀容舉

止。③白圭：亦作「白珪」。古代白玉製的禮器。④

玷：玉的斑點，瑕疵。

【白話】國家的強盛在於擁有賢德之人，四方之國才

都會接受其教化。君王具備了純正的德行，四方諸侯

才能夠齊歸於麾下。恭敬謹慎、舉止莊重，天下百姓

都會效法。依循古人的常道把教令來頒布，言行舉止

務求優美合度。白玉之瑕，尚可琢磨；政令之失，再

難彌補！

Be Discreet


154. A ruler is strong because he has virtuous ministers in his government. Thus, nations from four corners of the world would come and heed its practices. A ruler exemplifies virtuous conduct so lords from the four corners of the world would submit under his command. People would follow his respectful, discreet and dignified manners. Educational laws are enacted based on the ancients’ ethical standards; conducts are expected to be appropriate and pleasant. Carving and polishing can remove the flaws on a piece of white jade, but the harm done by defective laws is difficult to redress!

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155、子曰：「君子道人以言，而禁人以行，禁，猶謹也。

故言必慮其所終，而行必稽其所弊，則民謹於言，而

慎於行。稽，猶考也。」


【白話】孔子說：「君子以言語教導人們向善，以身作

則防止人們作惡，所以每說一句話之前，必定先想到它

的後果，每做一件事之前，必定先考慮到它可能會造成

的弊端，這樣人民才會說話謹慎而行事小心。」

155. Confucius said: “A man of noble character (Junzi) advises people to be kind through his speech, and keeps them away from acts of evil by his exemplary role. Hence, before speaking, he is very mindful of the effects of his words, and extremely careful of the consequence of his actions, so that everyone will be mindful when speaking, and cautious before doing anything.”

Scroll 7: Li Ji

Be Discreet


156、激電不能追既往之失辭①，班輪（輪作輸）②不能磨

斯言之既玷。雖不能三思而吐情談，猶可息謔調以杜

禍萌也。


【註釋】①失辭：亦作「失詞」，言辭失當。②班

輸：春秋魯國的巧匠公輸班。一說班指魯班，輸指公

輸般，「班輸」為兩人的合稱。

【白話】快速的閃電，也追不回說過的錯話；魯班這

樣的能工巧匠，也磨不去不當言辭留下的污點。一個

人即使不能時時做到三思而後言、說出得體的話，

但是停止說戲謔嘲弄話語，以杜絕災禍的萌生，則是

完全可以的。

156. Even a speed as swift as lightning can never retract a slip of the tongue; even a man as talented as Lu Ban cannot eliminate the ill effects of an inappropriate speech. A person may not often think thrice before uttering decent words, but it is possible to avoid speaking words of mockery in order to prevent misfortunes from happening.


215

157、言而不可復者，君不言也；行而不可再者，君

不行也。凡言而不可復，行而不可再者，有國者之大

禁也。

（卷三十二　管子）

【白話】說一次而不可再說的話，君主就不說；做一

次而不可再做的事，君主就不做。凡是不可重複的

話，不可再做的事，都是君主最大的禁忌。

157. Any speech that is spoken once but can never be repeated will not be said by a ruler. Anything that is done once but cannot be repeated will not be carried out by a ruler. Words and actions that cannot be repeated are the ruler’s main taboos.

Scroll 32: Guan Zi

Be Discreet


158、天子之尊，四海之內，其義莫不為臣。然而養

三老於大學①，舉賢以自輔弼，求修正之士使直諫。

故尊養三老，示孝也；立輔弼之臣者，恐驕也；置直

諫之士者，恐不得聞其過也。


【註釋】①養三老於大學：三老，古代設三老五更之

位，天子以父兄之禮養之。大學，即太學，我國古代

設於京城的最高學府。大，音tài／ㄊㄞˋ。「太」的

古字。

【白話】以天子的尊貴，在全國之內，按道理來說，

沒有人不是他的臣子。然而天子還在太學（以尊敬父

親之禮）奉養三老，選拔賢能之人來作為自己的輔

佐，訪求修身正行之人（讓他們）直言規諫。所以尊

養三老，是顯示孝道；設立輔助之臣，是擔心自己驕

縱；設置直言勸諫的官員，是擔心聽不到自己的過

失。

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158. Being a royal dignity of the highest order, everyone in the kingdom is under a ruler’s command. However, when the ruler was in the Tai Xue (Imperial University), he showed great respect for the Three Elder Teachers in the manner of a filial son serving his parents. He also appointed men of virtues to be his ministers and sought the assistance of righteous people to remonstrate with him. The respect and care for the Three Elder Teachers demonstrated filial piety. The virtuous ministers were appointed to prevent him from being arrogant, and the remonstrating officials were employed to remind him of his faults.


Be Discreet


159、夫為政者，輕一失而不矜①之，猶乘無轄②之

車，安其少進，而不睹其頓躓之患也。夫車之患近，

故無不睹焉；國之患遠，故無不忽焉。知其體者，

夕惕若厲③，慎其愆④矣。


【註釋】①矜：謹守，慎重。②轄：音xiá／ㄒㄧ

ㄚˊ。車軸兩頭的金屬鍵，用以擋住車輪，不使脫

落。③夕惕若厲：朝夕戒懼，如臨危境，不敢稍懈。

若，如；厲，危。④愆：過錯，罪過。

【白話】治理政事的人，輕忽一個錯誤而不慎重對

待，就猶如乘坐沒有車軸兩頭金屬鍵的車子，滿足於

少許的前進，而看不到顛仆的禍患。車子的禍患很

近，所以誰都看得到；國家的禍患很遠，所以人們就

都疏忽了。了解了這種情形，就會終日朝夕戒懼，如

臨危境，時刻謹慎，不敢犯絲毫錯誤。

219

159. If a minister overlooks an error and does not manage it cautiously, it is like sitting in a carriage whose axle has lost the two linchpins on both ends. By being easily satisfied with minor progress, he does not see the disasters that will cause him to stumble. The dangers caused by the defective carriage can be easily discovered by anyone, but disasters that loom in the distance are not readily felt. Be aware of this and remain on guard day and night as if danger is imminent, and stay vigilant to prevent committing the slightest mistake.


Be Discreet


九、交友

Making Friends

160、方①以類聚，物以群分，吉凶生矣。方有類，物有群，

則有同有異，有聚有分也。順其所同則吉，乖其所趣則凶，故吉凶生矣。


【註釋】①方：品類。

【白話】天下人各行其道而以類聚集，物各有其群而

以類相分，同於善同於君子的就吉，同於惡同於小人

的就凶，這樣，吉祥與凶險也就產生了。

160. People alike tend to group together, and things are divided according to their classes. Associating oneself with the virtuous brings good fortune, while associating oneself with the evil brings misfortune. This is how good fortune and misfortune come into being.

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161、孔子曰：「居而得賢友，福之次①也。」

（卷四十六　中論）

【註釋】①次：泛指所在之處。

【白話】孔子說：「所居之處有賢德之人為友，這是

福氣之所在。」

161. Confucius said: “Good fortune presides in a neighbor-hood where one can befriend virtuous people.”

Scroll 46: Zhong Lun

Making Friends


162、夫人雖有性質美①而心辨智②，必求賢師而事

之，擇賢友而友之。得賢師而事之，則所聞者堯舜禹

湯之道也；得良友而友之，則所見者忠信敬讓之行

也。身日進於仁義而不自知者，靡③使然也。


【註釋】①質美：純樸美善。②辨智：明辨事理，有

才智。③靡：引申為潛移默化，沾染。

【白話】人雖然有純樸美好的稟性和清醒明白的智

慧，但一定要選擇賢師學習，選擇善友而交往。得到

賢師而去學習，則所見聞的都是堯舜禹湯的聖王之

道；得到善友而交往，則所見聞的都是忠誠信實恭敬

禮讓之善行。自身日益進步於仁義之道而自己並不覺

知，這就是因為潛移默化的影響使其如此。

162. Even a person with good character and the ability to discern right from wrong must seek virtuous teachers to guide him. He should also associate with worthy friends. From honorable teachers, he learns about the virtues of emperors Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang. From worthy friends he

223

learns about faithfulness, trustworthiness, respectfulness and forbearance. In this way, making steady advancement along the virtuous path is natural to him.


Making Friends


163、人之交士也，仁愛篤恕、謙遜敬讓，忠誠發乎

內，信效著乎外，流言無所受，愛憎無所偏，幽閑①

攻人之短，會友述人之長。有負我者，我又加厚焉；

有疑我者，我又加信焉。患難必相及，行潛德而不

有，立潛功而不名。孜孜為此，以沒其身，惡有與此

人交而憎之者也？


【註釋】①閑：防止；限制。

【白話】人与人交往，要做到仁愛、寬恕、謙遜、禮

讓，忠誠發自內心，信用顯揚於外，不听信流言蜚

語，愛憎沒有偏私，私下相處謹防指責別人短處，聚

會多說別人長處。有負於我的人，我對他更加寬厚；

懷疑我的人，我對他更加誠信。別人有禍患災難一定

相幫，暗中施恩於人而不圖回報，暗中成就好事而不

求人知。勤勉不懈於此，終身不改，哪有與這樣的人

結交還憎惡他的呢？

225

163. When interacting with one another, we must show loving-kindness, forgiveness, humility and forbearance. Sincerity comes from the bottom of our hearts, and trust is shown to others. We should not listen to gossips, and should never be biased and criticize the shortcomings of others; instead, we should try to compliment people for their good deeds openly. For those who betrayed us, we would show leniency to them; for those who doubted us, we should prove ourselves to be even trustworthier. We would secretly help those in need without expecting anything in return and make contributions without craving to be acknowledged. When these principles are never abandoned and diligently practiced, would there be anyone who still hates us?


Making Friends


十、學問

The Art of Learning

164、今人皆知礪其劍，而弗知礪其身。夫學，身之

礪砥①也。


【註釋】①礪砥：磨礪。本為磨刀石。粗者為礪，細

者為砥。

【白話】今天人們都知道磨礪自己的劍，卻不知磨礪

自己的身心。修學，就是對自己身心的磨礪。

164. Nowadays people merely think of sharpening their swords instead of spiritual advancement. Spiritual cultivation is actually sharpening one’s body and mind.

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165、君子博學，而日三省①乎己，則知②明而行無過

矣。故不登高山，不知天之高也；不臨③深谿，不知

地之厚也；不聞先王④之遺言⑤，不知學問之大也。


【註釋】①省：音xǐng／ㄒㄧㄥˇ。反省；檢查。②

知：同「智」。聰明；智慧。③臨：由上看下，居高

面低。④先王：指上古賢明君王。⑤遺言：猶古訓。

【白話】君子要廣泛學習聖賢教誨，而且要（效法曾

子那樣）每日多次反省自己的身心行為有無過錯，照

這樣下去，就能夠成為一個智慧明達而行為沒有過失

的人了。所以不登上高山，就不知道天有多高；不俯

視深谷，就不會知道地有多厚；沒有聽聞古聖先王的

教誨，就不知道聖賢學問之道的博大。

165. A man of noble character (Junzi) should learn from the saints and sages, self-reflecting several times a day to check on his faults. If he can persist in this practice, he will become a wise man who seldom makes mistakes. Thus, one will never know how high the sky is if he has never

The Art of Learning


climbed up a mountain; without looking down onto a deep valley, one will never know how deep the earth goes. Without learning the wisdom from the ancient sage-rulers, one will never know how profound and great their teachings could be.


229

166、古之學者耕且養，三年而通一藝，存其大體①，

玩②經文而已。是故用日約③少而蓄德④多，三十而五

經立也。


【註釋】①大體：重要的義理。②玩：反覆體會。③

約：少，省減，簡約。④蓄德：修積德行。

【白話】古代的學者一面耕作勞動，一面修養自己的

品德學問，三年通曉一部經，一般是掌握其中的要

義，反覆體會經文罷了。所以花費的時間少而蓄養的

德行卻多，到三十歲就能通達五經了。

166. The ancient scholars toiled in the farms while cultivating their intellect and character. In the span of three years they had familiarized themselves with one classic, grasping its essence through repeated study of the same text. Hence, they spent little time in this aspect while accumulating virtues. By the time they reached the age of thirty, these scholars would become proficient in the Five Classics19.

Scroll 14: Han Shu, Vol. 219 The Five Classics include the Book of Odes, Book of History, Book of Rites, Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals.

The Art of Learning


167、君子既學之，患其不博也；既博之，患其不習①也；既習之，患其不知②也；既知之，患其不能行

也；既能行之，患其不能以讓也。君子之學，致此五

者而已矣。


【註釋】①習：複習。②知：省悟。這裡指理解。

【白話】君子學習聖賢教誨後，唯恐自己所學不淵

博；所學的教誨淵博了，唯恐自己不能時時溫習；已

經溫習了，唯恐自己不能夠理解；已經理解了，唯恐

自己不能按照道理去落實；已經按照道理落實了，又

唯恐自己做不到謙虛退讓。君子求學，若能做到這五

個方面就行了。

167. A man of noble character (Junzi) is overcome by the fear of not acquiring profound knowledge after learning from the sages. Having acquired profound knowledge, he is yet overcome by the fear of being unable to allot time for revision. Having revised the lessons over and over again, he is yet overcome by the fear of being unable to fully

231

understand the lessons. After understanding the lessons, he is yet overcome by the fear of being unable to practice what he was taught. After practicing what he was taught, he is yet overcome by the fear of being unable to conduct himself humbly. If a Junzi can put these five requirements into practice, that would suffice.

Scroll 35: Zeng Zi

The Art of Learning


十一、有恆

Perseverance

168、《彖》曰：天地之道，恆久而不已也。得其所

久，故不已也。日月得天而能久照，四時變化而能久成，

聖人久於其道，而天下化成。言各得所恆，故皆能久長也。觀其

所恆，而天地萬物之情可見矣。天地萬物之情，見於所恆也。


【白話】《彖傳》說：天地的運行規律是永恆運行，

沒有停息。日月得到天的承載，而能長久照耀天下；

四季往復變化，所以能永久生成萬物；聖人長久地推

行其道義，所以能教化天下以成盛世。觀察其所以長

久之理，天地萬物的情況便可以知道了。

168. The book of Tuan Zhuan said: “Heaven and earth move eternally according to the law of nature. The sun and the moon, being encompassed by heaven, shine perpetually. The endless revolving of the four seasons enables all things to thrive under the sun. Men of virtues persistently advocate good morality and righteousness so as to lead their country toward lasting peace and prosperity. Observing what they have been doing, we realize that the same rules apply to the ceaseless thriving of all things under the sun.”

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

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169、聖人貴恆，恆者德之固也①。聖人久於其道，

而天下化成②。未有不恆而可以成德，無德而可以持

久者也。


【註釋】①恆者德之固也：出自《易經•繫辭傳下》。

②聖人久於其道而天下化成：出自《易經•恆卦》。

【白話】聖人貴有恆，有恆方能使德行堅固。聖人長

久堅持德教，天下的教化才可成功。沒有不長久堅持

而可以成就德教的，也沒有無德而可以長治久安的。

169. The sages are known for their perseverance because without it, virtues could not be firmly established. Persisting in their moral and righteous cause, they were successful in teaching and transforming the world. Without perseverance, virtues cannot be established; without virtues, long-lasting stability cannot be found.


Perseverance


170、夫節士①不能使人敬之，而志不可奪②也；不能

使人不憎之，而道不可屈也；不能令人不辱之，而榮

在我也；不能令人不擯③之，而操之不可改也。


【註釋】①節士：有節操的人。②奪：用強力使之動

搖、改變。亦謂由於強力而動搖、改變。③擯：音

bìn／ㄅㄧㄣˋ。排斥；棄絕。

【白話】有節操的人，不能使人尊敬自己，但他的志

向不會受強迫而動搖；不能使人不厭惡自己，但他的

道德準繩不會被折服；不能令人不侮辱自己，但人格

的尊榮永遠保存在自身；不能令人不排斥自己，但他

的節操始終不變。

170. When a man of integrity cannot make others respect him, he will not give up his aspirations. If he cannot make others approve of him, he will not compromise his moral standards. If he cannot stop others from insulting him, he will not lose his noble personality. If he cannot prevent others from rejecting him, his integrity remains unchanged.


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十二、處世

Conducting Oneself in Life

171、君子體仁，足以長人；嘉①會，足以合禮；

利物，足以和義；貞固，足以幹事。


【註釋】①嘉：善，美好。

【白話】君子體察並踐行仁道，就足以領導眾人；

妥善成就美好的聚會，就發揮禮的教化；施利於他

物，就合乎道義；堅守正道，就可以辦好事務。

171. A man of noble character (Junzi), by virtue of his benevolence, is fit to become a leader. He facilitates propitious meetings or feasts in accordance with propriety, thereby enabling propriety to be promoted. He provides benefits for others in accordance to the way of right-eousness, and by such righteous acts and firmness, he is able to accomplish all tasks.

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172、子謂子產，有君子之道四焉。子產，公孫僑也。其行已

也恭，其事上也敬，其養民也惠，其使民也義。


【白話】孔子評論子產，說：「他有四種德行，皆是

君子之道：他自己做人很謙恭，他事奉君主能敬其

事，他用恩惠養民，他使用民眾（為公家之事服務）

能得其宜。」

172. Confucius commented that Zichan has four of the characteristics of a Junzi: In his conduct, he is humble; in serving his superiors, he is respectful; in providing assistance for the people, he is kind; and in deploying the people to carry out public services, he is just.

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173、子曰：「同聲相應，同氣相求，水流濕，火就

燥，雲從龍，風從虎，聖人作而萬物睹。」


【白話】孔子說：「這是比喻同樣的聲音能夠產生共

鳴，同樣的氣味會相互交感，水總是流到濕地上，火

總是先燒乾燥處，龍吟然後景雲就會騰升，虎嘯之處

就會有谷風相隨，聖人興起，萬民都來仰望他、親近

他，接受他的引導和教化。」

173. Confucius said: “Similar sounds resonate well with one another while similar scents attract each other. Water flows toward the wetland and fire burns at a dry place. Auspicious clouds rise with a dragon’s cry; the valley winds tail a tiger’s roar. When a sage appears, all men will look up to him, adore him, and follow his guidance and teachings. ”

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174、艮，君子以思不出其位。各止其所。不侵官也。


【白話】艮卦，君子體察此卦的現象，而抑制內心欲

望，所思所慮不超越其身分（安守本分，尊重主事者

職權）。

174. The oracle of Gen艮20 denotes that a man of noble character (Junzi) acts according to its divination and put a restraint on his desires; does not go in his thoughts beyond the duties called for by his positions. (He respects the authority of the person-in-charge.)

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20 The hexagram Gen 艮

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175、貴而下賤，則眾弗惡也；富能分貧，則窮乏士

弗惡也；智而教愚，則童蒙者不惡也。


【白話】地位高的人能夠謙虛對待地位低的人，那麼

眾人就不會厭惡他；有錢的人能經常接濟貧窮的人，

那麼貧窮的人就不會厭惡他；有智慧的人能夠教導愚

昧的人，那麼愚昧的人就不會厭惡他。

175. If the nobility could treat the lowly people with humility, no one would dislike them. If the wealthy could assist the poor and needy, no poor people would dislike them. If wise men could provide guidance to the ignorant, no ignorant people would dislike them.




176、孔子曰：「以富貴而下人，何人不與？以富貴

而愛人，何人不親？發言不逆，可謂知言矣。」


【白話】孔子說：「身處富貴而能待人謙下，這樣的

人誰不喜歡和他在一起呢？身處富貴而真心關愛他

人，又有誰不願親近他呢？說話不違背事理人情，可

以說是會說話的人了。」

176. Confucius said: “If a noble and wealthy person is humble, would anyone dislike his company? If a noble and wealthy person could love and care for others, would they distance themselves from him? If man’s speech is reasonable and does not contradict humanity, then he is regarded as an eloquent person.”


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177、一朝之忿，忘其身以及其親，非惑與？


【白話】難忍一時之怒，便忘記了自身的安危和父母

家人的禍福所繫，不是太糊塗了嗎？

177. Is it not too foolish to put our lives and the lives of our parents and family members at stake just because of a fit of anger?

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178、故有理而無益於治者，君子不言；有能而無益

於事者，君子弗為。君子非樂有言，有益於治，不得

不言；君子非樂有為，有益於事，不得不為。

（卷三十七　尹文子）

【白話】自己的想法雖有道理，但對治理國家沒有益

處的，君子絕對不說；自己雖有能力，但對成就事業

沒有好處的，君子也絕不去做。君子並不喜歡多話，

因為對治理國家有好處，所以不得不諫言；君子並不

喜歡多事，因為對成就事業有好處，所以不得不去

做。

178. If a man of noble character (Junzi) has a reasonable plan yet not beneficial to the country, he will not express his idea. If he has a talent, yet not constructive for the country, then he will never make use of it. A Junzi does not talk much, but he will always try his best to remonstrate for the benefit of his country. He dislikes assuming too many responsibilities, but he will take on certain tasks for the sake of his country.

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Chapter Four

ON THE SUBJECTOF ADMINISTRATION


一、務本

Engaging the Principles

179、楚莊王①問詹何曰：「治國奈何？」詹何蓋隱者也。

詹何對曰：「何（本書何作臣）明於治身，而不明於治國

也。」楚王曰：「寡人得奉宗廟②社稷③，願學所以

守之。」詹何對曰：「臣未嘗聞身治而國亂者也，又

未嘗聞身亂而國治者也。故本在身，不敢對以末。」

楚王曰：「善。」

（卷三十四　列子）

【註釋】①楚莊王：又稱荊莊王。楚穆王之子，春秋

五霸之一。②宗廟：祭祀祖宗的屋舍。③社稷：社，

土地神；稷，穀神。土地與穀物是國家的根本，古代

立國必先祭社稷之神，後「社稷」成為國家的代稱。

【白話】楚莊王問詹何說：「請問該如何治理國家？」

詹何回答說：「我只明白修身的道理，不明白治國的

道理。」楚王說：「寡人得以供奉宗廟、掌管國家，

希望學到保住它的方法。」詹何回答說：「我不曾聽

說君主自身修養很好而國家卻混亂的，也不曾聽說君

主自身修養不好而國家卻大治的，所以治國的根本在

於君主自身的修養，至於別的細枝末節我就不敢跟您

講了。」楚王說：「你講得很好。」

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179. King Zhuang of the state of Chu asked Zhan He21: “Please tell me how could one govern a country?”

To which Zhan He replied: “I only know about self-cultivation but not governing.”

King Chu asked again: “I have the honor of enshrining our ancestral temples and rule over my country. I wish to learn the ways to keep peace and order.”

Zhan He replied: “I have never heard of a chaotic country that has a ruler who is wise and virtuous, nor have I heard of a peaceful country that has a ruler who is not virtuous. Therefore, the key factor of governing is the ruler’s self-cultivation. I am afraid I am not able to advise you further on this matter.”

King Chu said: “That was an excellent explanation.”

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21 Zhan He 詹何, a Daoist recluse who used rod and line made from flexible and supple materials to fish effortlessly, drew the attention of King Chu 楚王(6th century BC), who received this counsel from him: “This is how I am able to use weak things to control strong ones, light things to bring in heavy ones. If Your Majesty is really able to rule [your] state in the same way, [you] can turn the Empire within the span of [your] hands; what can give you troubles?” (Littlejohn and Dippman 2011)



180、民心莫不有治道，至於用之則異矣。或用乎

人，或用乎己。用乎己者，謂之務本；用乎人者，謂

之追（追作近，下同）末。君子之治之也，先務其本，故德

建而怨寡；小人之治之也，先追其末，故功廢而仇

多。


【白話】每個人心裡都有治理的措施，至於怎樣使

用，就各不相同了。有人用於修治他人，有人用於修

治自己。用於治己，叫做務本；用於治人，叫做逐

末。君子處理事情，首先是先致力於根本（治己），

所以能夠建立德行、功業而很少與人結怨；小人處理

事情是先追求末節（治人），所以不能建立功業且又

很多怨仇。

180. Everyone may have constructive ideas about governance but how these ideas are put into practice will differ from one another. Some will choose to rectify the shortcomings of others, whereas some will choose to rectify their own shortcomings. Correcting one’s own shortcomings is addressing a problem at its source,

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whereas correcting the shortcomings of others is addressing a problem at its closing stages. A man of noble character (Junzi) tackles a problem at its source, thus shaping a noble character and contributing greatly to the society. So, he rarely holds grudges against anyone. A scoundrel aims at tackling a problem at its closing stages, thus he is unable to serve others while making many enemies.




181、為治之本務，在於安民。安民之本，在於足用。

足用之本，在於勿奪時。勿奪時之本，在於省事。

省事之本，在於節欲。節欲之本，在於反性。


【白話】治理國家的根本，在於使百姓安定。安定百

姓的根本，在於使百姓衣食豐足。百姓衣食豐足的根

本，在於不使其失去農時。不使百姓失去農時的根

本，在於減少徭役。減少徭役的根本，在於君主節制

物欲。節制物欲的根本，在於返歸其清淨無欲的天

性。

181. The principal function of a government is to provide stability for the people. Stability comes from having abundant food and clothing available for the people, and this abundance comes from uninterrupted farming activities, which are made possible by minimizing the frequency of statute labor on farmers imposed by the government. To achieve this, the ruler must restrain himself from extravagant spending and revert to his original nature that is pure and untainted.


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182、能成霸王者，必得勝者也。能勝敵者，必強者

也。能強者，必用人力者也。能用人力者，必得人心

者也。能得人心者，必自得①者也。能自得者，必柔

弱者也。


【註釋】①自得：自得其道。

【白話】老子說：「能成就霸業的人，一定是獲得勝

利的人。能勝敵的人，一定是強者。能成為強者的

人，一定是能運用別人力量的人。能運用別人力量的

人，一定是贏得人心的人。能夠贏得人心的人，一定

是符合道義的人。符合道義的人，一定是心地柔和謙

順的人。」

182. Laozi said: “The one who has risen to become an overlord is no doubt a winner. A winner who can defeat his rivals is no doubt a powerful figure. To be able to become powerful no doubt one has to know how to utilize the strength of others effectively. To be able to use the strength of others effectively no doubt one has to win over



their hearts, and to do so he must be a man who can act according to the principles of virtue. In the end, a virtuous man is without doubt, a caring and modest person.”

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183、聖王宣德流化①，必自近始。朝廷不備，難以言

治；左右不正，難以化遠。


【註釋】①流化：流布教化。

【白話】聖王宣揚仁德推行教化，必然要從身邊近處

開始。朝廷還不具備德義，難以談治理好天下；左右

的臣子不夠端正，難以使教化遠播。

183. When a sage-ruler promotes moral and virtuous values and devise policies to put them into practice, he must start from his immediate company. A government that has no righteous principles will not rule well, and when the ministers are not upright they cannot exert great influence.




184、凡為天下治國家，必務其本也。務本莫貴於

孝。人主孝，則名章榮，天下譽。譽，樂。人臣孝，則

事君忠，處官廉，臨難死。士民孝，則耕芸疾，守戰

固，不疲北。夫執一術而百喜至，百邪去，天下從

者，其唯孝乎！


【白話】大凡人君統治天下、治理國家，一定要致力

於根本。致力於根本，沒有比孝更重要的。君主孝敬

父母，名聲就顯揚榮耀，天下就安樂。臣子孝敬父

母，事奉國君就會忠誠盡責，居官就會清正廉潔，臨

難就能拼死效命。士人和百姓孝敬父母，耕種便會努

力，守衛作戰則能意志堅定，不會敗逃。掌握一種方

法而能使百善皆至，百邪皆去，天下順從，這種方法

大概只有孝道了！

184. To govern a country and earn the respect of the world a ruler must uphold some fundamental principles. Among these principles, nothing can surpass the principle of “being filial to one’s parents.” When a ruler respects his

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parents, he not only gains fame and glory but also contributes to world harmony and happiness. When a minister is filial to his parents, he will be honest and dutiful in serving his leader, as an officer he will serve with integrity and even sacrifice his life when the country is in trouble. When scholars and civilians are filial to their parents, they will work harder on their farms and will never run away from fighting a war to defend their country. If there is one way that can accumulate hundreds of blessings, eliminate hundreds of misfortunes, and win the support of the people, it is none other than the propagation of filial piety!




185、治之本仁義也，其末，法度也。先本後末，謂

之君子；先末後本，謂之小人。法之生也，以輔義。

重法棄義，是貴其冠履，而忘其頭足也。


【白話】治國的根本是推行仁義，其次才是施行法

度。以根本為先、以枝節為後的人，稱為君子；以枝

節為先、以根本為後的人，稱為俗人。法律的產生，

是為了輔助道義的推行。如果重視法律而拋棄仁義，

這如同重視帽子和鞋子，卻忘記了自己的頭和腳。

185. The principal task of a government is to promote the virtues of benevolence and righteousness, followed by the enforcement of laws. One who gives the highest priority to promoting virtues is known as a man of noble character (Junzi), otherwise, he is only an ordinary man. The purpose of legislating laws is to facilitate the promotion of justice and righteousness. If one puts too much emphasis on the laws and abandons benevolence and righteousness, it is akin to paying attention to hats and shoes with no consideration for one’s head and legs.

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186、政以得賢為本，理①以去穢②為務。


【註釋】①理：治理，整理。②穢：惡人，醜類。

【白話】為政以得到賢能之人為根本，治國以去除奸

邪之人為要務。

186. It is most important that the government employs virtuous and able people to serve the country, while eliminating evil and malicious people as its most pressing tasks.




187、有亂君，無亂國；有治人①，無治法。羿之法未

亡也，而羿不世中；禹之法猶存，而夏不世王。故法

不能獨立，得其人則存，失其人則亡。法者，治之

端②也；君子者，法之源也。故有君子，則法雖省，

足以遍矣；無君子，則法雖具，足以亂矣。故明主急

得其人，而闇主急得其勢。急得其人，則身逸而國

治，功大而名美；急得其勢，則身勞而國亂，功廢而

名辱。


【註釋】①治人：指能治理國家的人才。②端：開

始。

【白話】有造成國家混亂的昏君，沒有本來就混亂的

國家。有能治理好國家的人才，沒有不需人治就可以

使國家安定的方法。后羿的射法沒有亡失，但后羿不

能讓世世代代的人都百發百中；禹王的治國之法仍然

存在，但夏朝不能世世代代稱王天下。所以治國之法

不能獨自存在，得到了能施行的人才能存在，失去了

能施行的人就亡失了。治國之法，是治理國家的開

端；君子，是治國之法的本源。所以有君子，則法令

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雖然簡略，也足夠治理好一切；沒有君子，即使法令

非常完備，也足以使得社會混亂。所以賢明的君主急

於得到能治國的君子，而昏庸的君主急於得到權勢。

急於得到能治國的君子，於是自身安逸而國家大治，

功業偉大而且聲名美好；急於得到權勢，就會身勞心

累而國家混亂，功業毀壞而且名聲敗壞。

187. There are no such things as chaotic countries, but just countries with corrupted rulers. There are no such things as efficient policies that can keep a country safe and peaceful without the wise rulership of worthy people. The archery skill of Hou Yi is remembered but he could not make every future generation achieve his state of excellence. The governing laws of King Yu remained but these laws could not make the Xia dynasty retain its power forever. Therefore, governing laws cannot exist by themselves. The presence of worthy people who can execute the laws will keep the laws alive. Without these worthy people the laws will be rendered useless. The laws of governance provide the basis while men of noble character (Junzi) put them into practice. Their presence will ensure social order



although laws are sparse and few. Without them, not even well-designed laws can prevent social upheavals. Thus, a virtuous leader is eager to find a Junzi who can help him to govern well, while an unwise leader is only eager to gain power. With Junzi serving in his administration, the ruler is able to relax and enjoy a peaceful and orderly country. He would also gain great reputation for being a good ruler. On the other hand, a ruler who is eager to gain power will exhaust his energy and throw the country into chaos, not only will he jeopardize his career but also bring disgrace to himself.


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188、君之所慎者四：一曰大位（位作德）不至仁，不可

授國柄；二曰見賢不能讓，不可與尊位；三曰罰避親

貴，不可使主兵；四曰不好本事，務地利，而輕賦

斂，不可與都邑。此四務者，安危之本也。


【白話】君主所應謹慎對待的問題有四：一是標榜

道德但卻做不到仁，這樣的人不可授予國家大權；

二是見到賢者而不能謙讓，這樣的人不可賜予高貴的

爵位；三是執行刑罰時卻避開親戚、權貴，這樣的人

不可讓他統率軍隊；四是不重視農業、不注重地利，

而隨意徵收賦稅，這樣的人不可讓他擔任地方長官。

這四條要務是國家安危的根本。

188. A leader should be cautious about the following four instances: First, a man who flaunts his moral prowess but fails to act benevolently should not be given power to govern the country. Second, a man who is not ready to make way for a virtuous man cannot be conferred a noble position. Third, a man who avoids punishing his relatives and the powerful nobles should not be allowed to lead an army. Fourth, a man



who attaches no importance to farming and infrastructure projects but collects taxes without any justification should not be given the post of a district governor. These four instances are crucial factors in maintaining national security.

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189、食者民之本也，民者國之本也，國者君之本

也。


【白話】糧食，是人民生存的根本；人民，是國家存

在的根本；國家，是君主立身的根本。

189. Food constitutes the basic needs of the people; People constitute the backbone of a country; Country is the ground through which a ruler establishes his destiny.




190、夫君尊嚴而威，高遠而危；民者卑賤而恭，愚弱

而神。惡之則國亡，愛之則國存。御民者必明此要。


【白話】為君者，儘管莊重嚴肅而威懾天下，但是卻

居高處遠而充滿危險；為民者，雖然地位卑下而對人

恭順，愚鈍軟弱卻有難以預測的力量。君主不尊重百

姓，國家就會滅亡；君主愛護百姓，國家就會生存發

展。治理民眾的人一定要明白這個道理。

190. Although a ruler appears noble and majestic, his high and isolated position could land him in danger. Although a civilian has a low status and remains humble, this apparently slow-witted person could have unbelievable power. When a ruler does not respect his people, his country will be destroyed. When a ruler loves and protects his people, his country will thrive and prosper. Those who govern should be aware of this principle.

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191、案①今年計，子弟殺父兄，妻殺夫者，凡二百二

十二人。臣愚以為此非小變也。今左右不憂此，乃欲

發兵報纖介②之忿於遠夷，殆③孔子所謂「吾恐季孫

之憂，不在顓臾，而在蕭牆之內者也④」。


【註釋】①案：通「按」，依據，按照。②纖介：

細微。③殆：大概。④吾恐季孫之憂，不在顓臾，而

在蕭牆之內：顓臾，魯附庸國。蕭牆，古代宮室內作

為屏障的矮墻。藉指內部。蕭，通「肅」。此處引用

《論語‧季氏》中，冉有、子路向孔子報告季氏將伐

顓臾，孔子的答話。

【白話】據今年的統計，子弟殺死父兄、妻子殺死丈

夫的事情，就有二百二十二人，我認為這不是小變

故啊。現在在皇帝身邊的臣子不憂慮這樣的情況，卻

打算發兵報復邊遠地方微小的怨恨，這大概就是孔子

所說的「我恐怕季孫氏的憂患不在顓臾，而在自己內

部」的道理吧。



191. According to this year’s statistics, the number of cases of children who killed their fathers, younger brothers who killed their elder brothers, and wives who killed their husbands was a total of 222. In my humble opinion this is by no means a small incident. Officials close to Your Majesty are not worried by this situation, but instead they are planning to deploy troops to settle minor scores at the faraway borders. This situation is reminiscent of a comment by Confucius: “My concern is that the misery of Baron Ji Sun is not caused by foreign unrest occurring in the region of Zhuan Yu but by affairs in his family.”


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192、夫用天之道，分地之利，六畜生於時，百物取

於野，此富國之本也……故為政者，明督工商，勿使

淫偽；困辱游業①，勿使擅利；寬假②本農，而寵遂③

學士。則民富而國平矣。


【註釋】①游業：流動的職業。如行商等。②寬假：

寬容；寬縱。③寵遂：使之尊榮顯達。

【白話】利用自然的時節，分清土地的高下優劣（加

以利用），各種牲畜的生長符合時令，萬物收穫於田

野，這就是使國家富強的根本……因此執政者應明確

監督工匠與商人，不要讓他們弄虛作假；限制貶低商

業等流動的行業，不要讓他們獨佔利益；寬待務農之

人，使博通聖賢學問之士尊貴榮顯。這樣，就會使百

姓富足、國家太平了。



192. By making full use of the natural cycles of seasonal changes and maximizing the use of lands, livestocks can be raised and bountiful crops can be harvested from the fields. This is the basis upon which a prosperous nation is founded. Thus, the government must make sure that craftsmen and businessmen should maintain the quality of their products and should not control or monopolize trading. The government should be lenient to farmers and also ensure that wise scholars achieve noble and honorable status. In this way, the populace will prosper and the country will become peaceful.


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二、知人

Good Judge of Character

193、咎繇曰：都！亦①行有九德。言人性行有九德，以考察真

偽，則可知也。寬而栗②，性寬宏而能莊栗也。柔而立，和柔而能立事。

愿③而恭，愨愿而恭恪也。亂④而敬，亂，治也。有治而能謹敬也。擾⑤

而毅，擾，順也。致果為毅也。直而溫，行正直而氣溫和也。簡⑥而廉⑦

，性簡大而有廉隅也。剛而塞⑧，剛斷而實塞也。彊而義。無所屈撓，動必

合義。彰厥有常⑨，吉哉。彰，明也。吉，善也。明九德之常，以擇人而官

之，則政之善也。


【註釋】①亦：助詞，無義。②栗：莊敬，嚴肅。

③愿：質樸；恭謹。④亂：治，治理。⑤擾：安撫，

和順。⑥簡：簡易，不苛求小節。⑦廉：廉隅，棱

角。比喻端方不苟的行為、品性。⑧塞：音sè／ㄙㄜ

ˋ，篤實。⑨常：規律，通例。這裡指道德標準。

【白話】咎繇說：「啊！人的德行有九種類型：一是

秉性寬宏而不失莊敬有度；二是性格柔和而能建功立

業；三是老實忠厚而又謙恭嚴肅；四是精於治事而又

恭謹敬慎；五是為人柔順而能勇敢有為；六是言行正

直而又態度溫和；七是性情平易而有操守；八是性格

剛斷而篤實穩健；九是堅強不屈而所作所為又都能夠



合乎道義。表彰符合這九種道德標準的人，天下就會

吉祥！」

193. Gao Yao said: “Well, kindly consider this norm. Human virtues can be classified into nine characteristics:

1. Generous and respectful;

2. Gentle and accomplished;

3. Honest and humble;

4. Skilful in handling matters but remain unassuming;

5. Submissive yet decisive;

6. Upright yet approachable;

7. Good-natured and ethical;

8. Indomitable yet practical and stable;

9. Tenacious yet benevolent and righteous.

Auspicious indeed is a country if there are officials who possess these nine characteristics!”

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194、故論人之道：貴即觀其所舉，富即觀其所施，

窮則觀其所不受，賤即觀其所不為。視其所患難，以

知其勇；動以喜樂，以觀其守；委以貨財，以觀其

仁；振①以恐懼，以觀其節。如此即人情②得矣。


【註釋】①振：通「震」。震懾。②情：實情。

【白話】所以評價人的方法是：高貴的人要看他所推

舉的是什麼人，富有的人要看他所施予的是什麼人，

貧窮的人要看他不接受什麼，地位低下的人要看他不

做什麼。觀察他處在困難面前的舉動，來了解他勇敢

的程度；用歡樂之事觸動他，來了解他的操守；把財

物交給他，來考察他的仁德；用恐懼震懾他，來了解

他的氣節。這樣就可以知道他的真實情況了。

194. As far as the appraisal of someone’s character is concerned, let us take these observations into consideration: if he is a man of noble status observe who he will nominate to become officials; if he is rich observe to whom he will donate for charity; if he is poor observe what



he will not accept, and if he is a man of low status observe what he refuses to do. Observe his behavior when he is in trouble to find out the extent of his bravery; entice him with entertainment to find out whether he can stick to his principles; give him money and goods and observe whether he can uphold his virtues; use fear and intimidation to find out the depth of his moral integrity. In this way we will be able to find out the truth about this person.

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三、任使

Appointing Officials

195、正臣進者，治之表也；正臣陷者，亂之機①也。


【註釋】①機：先兆，徵兆。

【白話】忠正之臣得到任用，這是治世的表現；忠正

之臣遭到陷害，那就是混亂的先兆。

195. When a loyal and upright minister is assigned important tasks this is evidential of a good government. If such a minister can be brought down because of false charges, this is an early sign of chaos and disorder.




196、故夫處①天下之大道而智不窮，興天下之大業而

慮不竭，統齊群言之類而口不勞，兼聽古今之辨而志

不倦者，其唯用賢乎。


【註釋】①處：定奪；決斷。

【白話】所以定奪天下的重大決策而智慧不會窮盡，

興辦天下的大業而思想不會枯竭，統一百家之言而口

舌不會勞累，兼聽古今言論而心志不會疲倦，只有使

用賢才這一個辦法。

196. Whether a government can make critical decisions with inexhaustible wisdom, execute great plans with inexhaustible ideas, unify a hundred schools of thought with untiring persuasions, and maintain an unyielding spirit while learning from ancient or contemporary views—there is no other way to achieve these except to employ virtuous and competent individuals to serve in the government.


273

197、古之聖王，所以潛處①重闈②之內而知萬里之情，

垂拱③衽席④之上而明照八極⑤之際者，任賢之功也。


【註釋】①潛處：深居。②重闈：重重宮門，指深

宮。③垂拱：垂衣拱手，不親理事務。多指帝王的無

為而治。④衽席：床褥與莞簟，引申為寢處之所。

衽，音rèn／ㄖㄣˋ。臥席，指床褥。⑤八極：八方

極遠之地。

【白話】古代的聖王之所以居住在深宮之內，就知道

萬里之外的事情；垂衣拱手安坐在衽席之上，而能明

察八方最遠地區的情況，是因為任用賢才的結果。

197. Ancient sage-rulers could live in the inner chambers of the imperial palace and were knowledgeable of matters from thousands of miles away; sit on their mattress with hands clasped in ease and were knowledgeable of the state of affairs at the furthest corners of his kingdom, all because they had virtuous and competent men to work for them.




198、遭良吏，則皆懷忠信而履仁厚；遇惡吏，則皆

懷奸邪而行淺薄。忠厚積則致太平，奸薄積則致危

亡。


【白話】百姓遇到好的官吏，就都會心懷忠信而品行

仁厚；碰到不良官吏，就都會心懷奸邪而行為淺薄。

積累忠信仁厚就會實現天下太平，積累奸邪刻薄就會

導致天下危亡。

198. The presence of virtuous officials will transform people into becoming honest and kind. The presence of wicked officials will transform people into becoming evil and mean. When honesty and kindness prevail, there will be peace and prosperity; when evilness and selfishness prevail, the fate of the nation would be at stake.


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199、賢主必自知士，故士盡力竭智，直言交爭①，而

不辭其患。士為知己者死，故盡力竭智，何患之辭也。


【註釋】①交爭：交相諫諍。

【白話】賢主之所以成為賢主，一定是由於能賞識和

任用賢士，這樣賢者就能竭盡心力和智慧，直言相

諫，也不怕招來禍患。

199. A sage-ruler will surely recognize the contributions of virtuous individuals and appoint them to undertake important tasks so that they can serve him wholeheartedly and wisely and remonstrate with him without the fear of being persecuted.




200、非獨臣有不盡忠，亦主有不能使也。百里奚愚

於虞，而智於秦；豫讓苟容中行，而著節①智伯。斯

則古人之明驗矣。


【註釋】①著節：彰顯其節操。

【白話】（治國成效不彰）不僅僅是因為臣子不盡

忠，君主不善用人也是原因之一。百里奚在虞國時顯

得愚鈍，在秦國時顯得很有智慧；豫讓在中行氏手下

只是苟且容身，而在智伯手下卻顯示出他的節操。這

都是古人中很明顯的例證。

200. An inefficient government may not only be due to treacherous ministers but also due to a ruler’s inability to use the right people to do the right tasks. For instance, Baili Xi appeared foolish when he served in the state of Yu but performed brilliantly when he served in the state of Qin. Another example was Yu Rang who led a contemptible life when he served in the household of nobleman Zhong Hang, but showed high moral integrity when he served the nobleman Zhi Bo. These are obvious examples attested by the ancients.


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201、聖主者，舉賢以立功，不肖主舉其所與同。


【白話】聖明的君主任用賢人來建立功業，不賢的君

主只任用習氣愛好與他類同的人。

201. A wise ruler will appoint competent and virtuous people to help him accomplish great missions. An unwise leader will appoint people with similar personalities and preferences as himself.




202、明主任人之道專，致人之道博。任人道專，故

邪不得間①。致人之道博，故下無所壅。任人之道不

專，則讒說起而異心生。致人之道不博，則殊塗塞而

良材屈。


【註釋】①間：音jiàn/ㄐㄧㄢˋ。挑撥離間，使人不

和。

【白話】明智的君主，用人之道專一，招攬人才的途

徑寬廣。用人之道專一，所以邪惡之徒不能離間。

招攬人才的途徑寬廣，進才之路才不會被壅塞。用人

之道不專一，讒言就會出現，異心就會產生。招攬人

才的途徑不寬廣，則各條管道都會堵塞，而人才也會

被埋沒。

202. A wise ruler is consistent when it comes to appointing the right candidates to serve in the government, and the recruitment process that he employs is thorough and extensive. By being consistent he prevents treacherous people from sowing discords; and when the recruitment

279

process is extensive the channels for recruiting virtuous candidates are never blocked. If appointments are done in an inconsistent manner, false charges will arise and disloyalty will follow. If the recruitment process is not extensive, all channels will be blocked and virtuous candidates will be neglected.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



203、選舉莫取有名，名如畫地作餅，不可啖①。


【註釋】①啖：音dàn／ㄉㄢˋ。吃。

【白話】選拔人才時不要只知道選取有名氣的人，

名氣如同畫在地上的餅，是不能吃的。

203. Do not elect a candidate based solely on his popularity. Popularity is like the picture of a biscuit sketched on the ground that cannot be eaten.


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204、故搆①大廈者，先擇匠，然後簡材；治國家者，

先擇佐②，然後定民。


【註釋】①搆：音gòu／ㄍㄡˋ。架屋；營造。

②佐：輔佐的大臣。

【白話】所以，建築大廈的人，必先選擇工匠，然後

準備材料；治國的君主，須先選擇良臣，然後才能治

理好百姓。

204. Thus, before a builder can commence construction he must first select good craftsmen and then prepare the materials needed. Likewise, a ruler must first select good ministers before he can run the government well and deliver beneficial results to the people.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



205、柔遠①和邇②，莫大寧民③。寧民之務，莫重用

賢。用賢之道，必存④考黜⑤。


【註釋】①柔遠：安撫遠人或遠方邦國。②邇：

近。③寧民：安民，使人民安定。④存：立；設

置。⑤考黜：按一定標準考核以確定官吏的升降。

【白話】安撫遠方和睦近處，再沒有比使人民安定更

重大的了。使人民安定的關鍵，沒有比任用賢人更重

要的了。任用賢者的辦法，是一定要設立考核與罷免

的制度。

205. To appease people or countries from afar and bring harmony to those close at hand, nothing can be more important than winning the hearts of the people. In order to achieve this nothing can be more pressing than hiring virtuous people to serve in the government. To ensure that the ability of the virtuous and able is properly tapped, a proficiency assessment and dismissal system must be established.


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206、治亂榮辱之端，在所信任。所信任既賢，在於

堅固而不移。


【白話】安定與動亂、榮譽與恥辱的發端，就在於君

主所相信並任用的人。所信任的人已經是賢才了，

那就要堅信他而不動搖。

206. The reasons that lead to stability or chaos, honor or disgrace, begin with the ministers trusted and empowered by the ruler. If the ministers proved to be virtuous, everyone should have full confidence in them and trust them without the slightest doubts.




207、昔之獄官，唯賢是任，故民無冤枉。升泰①之

祚，實由此興。

（卷二十七　吳志上）

【註釋】①升泰：《三國志》通行本作「休泰」。

升泰，太平安寧。休泰，安好、安寧。

【白話】從前主持刑獄的官員，只有賢能之人才可擔

任，所以百姓沒有冤屈。安寧太平的福運，其實是由

此興起的。

207. In ancient times, only the capable and virtuous were permitted to preside over criminal and penal matters, and so cases of unjust prosecution could be avoided. The blessings of a peaceful and prosperous nation are, in fact, the result of this key factor.


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208、耳不知清濁①之分者，不可令調音；心不知治亂

之源者，不可令制法度（無度字）。


【註釋】①清濁：音樂的清音與濁音。

【白話】耳朵不能分辨清濁聲調的人，不可以讓他調

整音律；心裡不懂治亂根源的人，不可以讓他制定法

令。

208. A man who cannot distinguish a pure tone from an overtone should not be allowed to tune a musical instrument. A man who does not know how to eradicate the root cause of unrests should not be allowed to make laws and regulations.




209、是故有大略①者，不可責②以捷巧；有小智者，

不可任以大功③。


【註釋】①大略：遠大的謀略。略，謀略、智謀。

②責：要求，期望。③功：事情，事業。

【白話】有雄才大略的人，不能苛求他們敏捷和靈

巧；有小小才智者，不可委任他們去做大事業。

209. A man with great talent and bold vision should not be ordered to act quickly and cleverly. A man of minor intelligence should not be appointed to undertake matters of great importance.


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四、至公

Paramount Impartiality

210、先聖王之治天下也，必先公，公則天下平。平，和。


【白話】從前聖王治理天下，一定要把公正無私放在

首位，處事公正無私，則天下太平安和。

210. The sage-rulers of ancient times placed justice as a priority in governing. When governing was done without selfish motives, peace and harmony could be achieved.


Paramount Impartiality


211、見人有善，如己有善；見人有過，如己有過。

天無私於物，地無私於物，襲①此行者，謂之天子。


【註釋】①襲：繼承，沿襲。

【白話】見到別人有善行，就像自己有善行一樣；

見到別人有過錯，就如同自己有過錯一樣。天對萬物

無私無求，地對萬物也無私無求，能秉承天地這種無

私行為的人，才稱之為天子。

211. When we see others perform good deeds we should be joyous as if we have done the same. When we see faults in others we should consider these faults as if they are ours. Heaven and earth give life to everything without expecting anything in return. Hence, only the one who could uphold this demeanor and offer himself to serve selflessly is deemed the Son of Heaven.

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五、綱紀

The Basis of Principles

212、先王之政：一曰承天，二曰正身，三曰任賢，

四曰恤民，五曰明制，六曰立業。承天惟允，正身

惟恆，任賢惟固，恤民惟勤①，明制惟典②，立業惟

敦，是謂政體。


【註釋】①勤：盡心盡力，無所吝惜。②典：常道。

【白話】古聖先王的政治：一是順應自然規律，二是

自己端正自身以身作則，三是任用賢德之人，四是體

察民情，五是制定合理的法律制度，六是成就國泰民

安的事業。忠誠信實地遵循天道，堅持不懈地修正自

己，堅定不移地任用賢明，盡心盡力地體恤民情，依

照常道來制定律法，敦厚篤實地建立功業，這就是古

聖先王為政的要領。

212. The governing principles of the ancient sage-rulers are as follows: 1. Honor the law of nature;2. Discipline oneself and teach by exemplary roles;3. Appoint able and virtuous people to hold office;



4. Experience and observe the living conditions of the people;

5. Develop a reasonable legal system;

6. Accomplish peace and prosperity for the country and its people.

Be honest and faithful and act in accordance with the law of nature; persevere diligently with self-cultivation; be tenacious in appointing the able and virtuous to hold office; experience and observe the living conditions of people mindfully; follow the natural law to establish the legal system; and be resolute and pragmatic in striving for achievement. These are the essential governing principles of the ancient sage-rulers.

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213、武王問太公曰：「吾欲以一言與身相終，再言

與天地相永，三言為諸侯雄，四言為海內宗①，五言

傳之天下無窮，可得聞乎？」太公曰：「一言與身相

終者，內寬而外仁也；再言與天地相永者，是言行相

副，若天地無私也；三言為諸侯雄者，是敬賢用諫，

謙下於士也；四言為海內宗者，敬接不肖，無貧富，

無貴賤，無善惡，無憎愛也；五言傳之天下無窮者，

通於否泰②，順時③容養也。」

（卷三十一　陰謀）

【註釋】①宗：指宗主。②否泰：《易》的兩個卦

名。天地交，萬物通謂之「泰」；不交閉塞謂之

「否」。後常以指世事的盛衰，命運的順逆。③順

時：順應時宜；適時。

【白話】武王問太公：「我希望能有一句話使我終身

銘記，第二句話能與天地長存，第三句話能使我成為

諸侯中的杰出者，第四句話能使我成為天下的宗主，

第五句話可以將天下代代相傳無有窮盡，我可以聽

您講講嗎？」太公說：「第一句可以使您終身銘記的

話，就是要內心寬宏，對外仁愛；第二句可以與天地



共存的話，就是要言行相符，像天地那樣公正無私；

第三句可以讓您成為諸侯中傑出者的話，就是要尊敬

賢者，虛心納諫，還要謙卑地禮待士人；第四句讓您

可以成為天下宗主的話，就是要恭敬謹慎地對待不肖

之人，不分貧富、貴賤、善惡、愛憎；第五句可以使

您將天下代代相傳無有窮盡的話，就是要通達吉凶盛

衰的規律，順應時宜，包容天下，涵養萬物。」

213. King Wu of the Zhou dynasty asked Tai Gong: “If I wish to have one saying that I can remember forever; a second saying to show me how I can live eternally alongside heaven and earth; a third saying to enable me to become the leader of all lords; a fourth saying to enable me to become the leader of the world; and a fifth saying to enable my government to last for generations; can you tell me what these sayings are?”

To these questions Tai Gong replied: “The first saying that you wish you can remember forever is: ‘Be generous at heart and act benevolently toward others.’ The second saying that enables you to live eternally alongside heaven

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and earth is: ‘Your actions must correspond to your words and be as upright and selfless as heaven and earth.’ The third saying that enables you to become the leader of the lords is: ‘Respect the able and virtuous, listen to their advice with an open mind, and with great humbleness, treat them with courtesy.’ The fourth saying that enables you to become the leader of the world is: ‘Treat the unworthy men, the rich or the poor, the noble or the lowly, good or evil, those you love or disdain, with equal respect and caution.’ The fifth saying that enables your government to last for generations is: ‘Master the law of good and ill fortune as well as the pattern of rise and decline, and go with the flow to tolerate differences and be accommodating to all things.’”

Scroll 31: Yin Mou



214、禮節民心，樂和民聲①，政以行之，刑以防之。

禮樂刑政，四達②而不悖③，則王道④備矣。


【註釋】①民聲：民眾的聲音。指人民的思想感

情。②達：通行。③悖：違背，乖謬。④王道：古聖

先王以仁義治天下的政治主張。

【白話】用禮節制人們內心的欲望，用樂調和民眾的

思想感情，用行政的力量來推行教化，用刑罰的力量

防止越軌。禮、樂、刑、政這四者都得到實現而不相

違背，那麼王道政治就完備了。

214. Propriety can restrain human desires, and music can regulate people’s emotions and sentiments. The introduction of effective government policies can achieve the goal of educating and transforming the people, and the enforcement of corporal punishment can deter criminal offenses. Thus, making full use of these four factors—propriety, music, corporal punishment, and government policies that are not contradictory to one another, the formation of a benevolent administration is deemed complete.

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215、仁者愛也，義者宜也，禮者所履也，智者術之

原也。致利除害，兼愛無私，謂之仁；明是非，立可

否，謂之義；進退有度，尊卑有分，謂之禮；擅殺

生之柄，通壅塞之塗①，權輕重之數，論得失之道，

使遠近情偽②必見③於上，謂之術。凡此四者，治之

本。

（卷十八　漢書六）

【註釋】①塗，通「途」，道路。②情偽：真假。③

見：「現」的古字，顯現，顯露。

【白話】仁，就是愛人；義，就是合宜；禮，是所踐

行的準則；智，是策略的本原。求利除害，兼愛無

私，就叫仁；明辨是非，確定可否，就叫義；進退有

法度，尊卑有區別，就叫禮；擁有生殺的大權，疏通

壅塞的任賢進言之路，權衡商品流通的法則，探討事

情得失的道理，使遠近真偽的情況必能顯現於君主，

就叫策略。凡此四個方面，是治國的基礎。



215. The foundation of governing is built upon these four factors:

1. Benevolence—to love and care for the people;

2. Righteousness—to do what is right;

3. Propriety—to conduct oneself according to the norms of civility;

4. Wisdom—the basis of strategies.

To pursue benefits and eliminate what is harmful to the people, and to love all with no selfish motives is Benevolence. To be able to distinguish right from wrong and to know what is the right thing to do is Righteousness. To be able to conduct oneself decently and to be fully aware of the status of seniority and juniority is Propriety. To know when to exercise the power for passing life or death sentences, to make way for worthy men to serve in the government, to regulate laws concerning commercial transactions, to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different issues so that the ruler can be fully aware of the actual state of matters is Strategy. These four factors are indispensable elements in ruling a country.


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216、禮以行義，信以守禮，刑以正邪。舍此三者，

君將若之何？


【白話】禮是用來推行道義的，信是用來維護禮的，刑

法是用來糾正邪惡的。拋開這三者，國君將怎麼辦？

216. Propriety is intended to put righteousness into effect, Trustworthiness is intended to put the practice of propriety into effect, and Corporal Punishment is intended to deter acts of evil. Can a ruler manage without these three vital factors?




217、曾子曰：「先王之所以治天下者五：貴貴，貴

德，貴老，敬長，慈幼。」


【白話】曾子說：「上古賢明君王用以治理天下的方

略有五個：尊重顯貴之人，崇敬有德之人，敬愛老

人，尊敬長者，慈愛孩童。」

217. Zengzi said: “There were five approaches that the ancient sage-rulers employed to rule their country: Respect the nobles, revere the virtuous, cherish the aged, honor the elders, and be tender to the children.”


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218、蓋善治者，視俗而施教，察失而立防，威德①

更興，文武迭用，然後政調於時，而躁人②可定。


【註釋】①威德：聲威與德行；刑罰與恩惠。②躁

人：《後漢書集解》惠棟曰：「《周易》云躁人之辭

多。躁人，謂私議國政之人也。」

【白話】善於處理政務的人，觀察風俗而施行教化，

考察過失而設置預防制度，刑罰與恩惠交替使用，文

德教化和武備防禦輪流施用，然後才能做到政治和時

勢相適應，而不安於本分的人才可以安定。

218. Good administrators will observe established social customs before implementing policies that can teach and transform the people. They will also examine past errors and set up systems to rectify them, using the penalty and reward measures, moral education as well as the military defence mechanism alternately. Only with these implementations can a government adapt to contemporary times and reconcile people who are discontented with the current state of affairs.




219、天地之大德曰生，聖人之大寶曰位。何以守

位？曰仁。何以聚人？曰財。財所以資物生也。理財正辭，

禁民為非，曰義。


【白話】天地最大的德性在生養萬物，聖人最寶貴的

在於有崇高的地位。何以保全名位？要靠「仁」。

何以聚集人民？用資財。理好財物，節約用度，端正

辭令，出之以理，教化民眾不要為非作歹，不讓他們

作惡，這就是「義」。

219. The great virtue of heaven and earth is the giving and maintaining of life. What is most precious for the sage is to get to a prestigious position in which he can exert his influence. What will guard this position for him? Benevolence. How shall he gather a large population around him? By the power of his wealth. The right administration of that wealth, correct instructions to the people, and prohibitions against wrongdoing constitute his Righteousness.

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220、文王問師尚父曰：「王人者何上何下，何取

何去，何禁何止？」尚父曰：「上賢下不肖，取誠

信，去詐偽，禁暴亂，止奢侈。」


【白話】文王問老師尚父（即太公）：「為人君者，

應推崇何人，斥退何人？應選拔何人，摒棄何人？

應禁止什麼，防止什麼？」尚父說：「應推崇有德才

的人，斥退不肖之人；應選用誠實守信之人，摒棄巧

詐虛偽之人；應禁止暴亂之事，制止奢侈之風。」

220. King Wen sought this advice from his teacher, Tai Gong: “In my capacity as a ruler, whom should I respect or ignore, whom should I appoint or reject, and what are the things I should prohibit and guard against?”

Tai Gong answered: “You should respect people who are virtuous and competent, ignore people who are unworthy, appoint people who are trustworthy, and reject people who are deceitful and hypocritical. You should prohibit riots and discourage extravagant practices.”

Scroll 31: Liu Tao



221、《詩》曰：「窈窕淑女，君子好仇①。」言能致

其貞淑，不貳其操，情欲之感無介乎容儀，宴私②之

意不形乎動靜，夫然後可以配至尊而為宗廟主。此綱

紀之首，王教之端也。


【註釋】①仇：配偶。《詩經》原文為「逑」，

「逑」通「仇」。②宴私：親昵，昵愛。

【白話】《詩經‧周南‧關雎》篇說：「溫柔嫺靜、

品行端莊的淑女，才是君子的好配偶。」講的是能夠

保持貞潔、端莊的品行，沒有三心二意的行為，情欲

的感觸不會在容貌儀表中顯露，親昵的私情不會在舉

止言談中表現。只有這樣，才配得上擁有至尊地位的

君主，才能負責祭祀宗廟。這是社會秩序和國家法紀

的首要，也是聖王教化的開端。

221. Shi Jing (the Book of Poetry) said: “A gentle and elegant maiden will make a good spouse for a man of noble character (Junzi).” This refers to a maiden who is chaste and composed, loyal and devoted. Her sensuality is not

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revealed in her demeanor and she never discloses intimate moments in her conversations. Thus she is fit to be the spouse of the noblest ruler, and bears the responsibility of honoring the rites of the ancestral shrines. This is most important among the principles of social order and the laws of the state, and it also serves as the beginning of any lessons given by the sage-rulers.




222、《易》稱：「男正位於外，女正位於內，男女

正，天地之大義也。」


【白話】《周易》上說：「男子主其位於外（承擔家

庭生計），女子主其位於內（負責相夫教子），男女

各自安於自己的本分，這是天地間的大道理。」

222. The book of Zhou Yi said: “A husband has his correct place in the outer (trigram, providing financial support to the family), and a wife has her correct place in the inner (trigram, taking care of her husband and children). That husband and wife occupy their correct places is the great righteousness of heaven and earth22.”

Scroll 25: Wei Zhi, Vol. 122家人，女正位乎內，男正位乎外，男女正，天地之大義也。家人有嚴君焉，父母之謂也。父父，子子，兄兄，弟弟，夫夫，婦婦，而家道正；正家而天下定矣。This quote was extracted from the Book of Changes that depicts the social roles played by members of a family: In the oracle of Jia Ren 家人(family), “the wife has her correct place in the inner (trigram), and the man his correct place in the outer. That man and woman occupy their correct places is the great righteousness shown (in the relation and positions of) heaven and earth. In Jia Ren we have the idea of an authoritative ruler;—that, namely, represented by the parental authority. Let the father be indeed father, and the son son; let the elder brother be indeed elder brother, and the younger brother younger brother, let the husband be indeed husband, and the wife wife. Then will the family be in its normal state. Bring the family to that state, and all under heaven will be established.”—James Legge.

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六、教化

Teach and Reform

223、上聖不務治民事，而務治民心。故曰：「聽訟①，吾由②人也，必也使無訟乎」；「導之以德，

齊③之以禮」。民親愛則無相害傷之意，動思義則無

奸邪之心。夫若此者，非法律之所使也，非威刑之所

強也，此乃教化之所致也。


【註釋】①聽訟：聽理訴訟、審案。②由：通「猶」。

如同，好像。兩段引文均出自《論語》。由，《論

語》通行本作「猶」。③齊：整飭，整治使有條理。

【白話】古代的聖王不致力於管理民眾的事務，而致

力於治理人民的內心。所以孔子說：「審理案件，

我和別人是一樣的，不同的是我希望通過倫理道德的

教化使訴訟不再發生」；「用道德來引導百姓，用禮

義來整飭百姓」。人民彼此親愛，就不會有互相傷害

的想法；行事想到道義，就不會有奸詐邪惡的念頭。

像這種狀況，不是法律所支配的，也不是嚴刑所強迫

的，這是教化所成就的。

Teach and Reform


223. The ancient sage-rulers would not lavish time managing the daily affairs of the people but would spend most of their time regulating people’s mind. Thus, Confucius said: “In hearing lawsuits, I am no different from everyone else. What is different, however, is that I try to educate the people not to engage in litigations.” In addition, “Guide them with virtues and teach them civility.” When the people love each other they will not harm one another. If they heed righteousness in all their actions they will not harbor wickedness. All the above will never be rectified by enforcing the law and implementing severe punishment. It can only be achieved through moral education.


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224、君子以情用，小人以刑用。榮辱者，賞罰之精

華①也。故禮教榮辱，以加君子，治其情也；桎梏

鞭朴②，以加小人，治其刑也。君子不犯辱，況於

刑乎？小人不忌刑，況於辱乎？若夫中人之倫，則刑

禮兼焉。教化之廢，推中人而墜於小人之域；教化之

行，引中人而納於君子之塗③。是謂彰化④。


【註釋】①精華：事物中最精粹、最美好的部分。

②鞭朴：用作刑具的鞭子和棍棒。亦指用鞭子或棍棒抽

打。朴，音pū／ㄆㄨ。通「扑」。③塗：通「途」。

④彰化：使教化彰明。

【白話】對君子要用情理（來感召），對小人則用刑

罰（來威懾）。榮譽和恥辱，是對人的最好獎懲。

所以，將禮儀教化和榮譽恥辱，用在君子身上，是

以情理來治理；腳鐐手銬鞭子棍棒，用在小人身

上，是以懲治來管理。君子連受恥辱都不願意，何

況接受刑罰呢？小人連刑罰都不懼怕，何況恥辱

呢？介於君子和小人之間的中等人，則要刑罰、禮

Teach and Reform


教並用。如果廢棄了倫理道德的教育，就會把中等之

人推落到小人的境地；如果施行倫理道德的教化，

則可以把中等之人引導上君子的道路。這就叫做

「彰化」。

224. When appealing to a man of noble character (Junzi) one has to employ reasons. When deterring a scoundrel from wrongful acts, one has to impose punishment. Rewards or punishments are the most ideal means to confer honor or humiliation. Hence, propriety, education, sense of honor or shame are measures that are suitable for dealing with Junzi, while fetters, handcuffs and floggings are used on a scoundrel to subdue his wickedness. Junzi cannot tolerate humiliation let alone being fettered and handcuffed. A scoundrel is not afraid of physical punishment let alone being humiliated and dishonored. Individuals whose characters stand between these two extremes must be corrected using both propriety and punishment. If we abolish the teaching of moral and ethics, we will drive people toward becoming scoundrels. But if we educate

309

them with moral and ethics they will become Junzi. Such is known as the “evidential transformation.”


Teach and Reform


225、得人之道，莫如利之；利之道，莫如教（教之下有以

政二字）之。


【白話】獲得人心的方法，沒有比給人民以利益最好

的了；讓人民得到利益的方法，沒有比施行教化更好

的了。

225. To win the full support of the people, there is nothing better than to provide benefits for them; to achieve this, nothing is better than an education policy that can transform them into better persons.

Scroll 32: Guan Zi

311

226、君子之教也，外則教之以尊其君長，內則教之

以孝於其親。是故君子之事君也，必身行之，所不安

於上，則不以使下；所惡於下，則不以事上。非諸

人，行諸已，非教之道也。必身行之。言恕己乃行之。是故君子

之教也，必由其本，順之至也，祭其是與，故曰祭者

教之本也已。教由孝順生。祭而不敬，何以為也？


【白話】君子的教化，教導人們在外要尊敬君長，在

家中要孝順父母。因此君子奉事長上，一定首先身體

力行，凡是上級的做法讓自己感到不安的，就不以此

對待下級；凡是下級做的讓自己憎惡的事，也不以此

來奉事上級。批評別人不該做，自己卻這樣做，這不

合教化的道理。因此，君子的教化必須從自身的孝行

做起，最順乎情理的，大概就是祭祀吧，所以說祭祀

是教化的根本。如果對祭祀產生輕慢懷疑，對故去的

親人沒有心存孝敬感恩之心，何必還要去祭祀呢？

Teach and Reform


226. The teaching of Junzi begins with honoring the ruler and the elders when away from home, and respecting parents when at home. In serving his ruler, he will honor him through his actions. Whatever he does not like in the behavior of his superiors, he will not do the same to his subordinates; whatever he does not approve of in the behavior of his subordinates, he will not do the same to his superiors. Therefore, Junzi proceeds from filial piety, and is this not manifested most appropriately in the ceremonial offerings to gods and ancestors? Hence there is this saying: “The first and greatest teaching is to be found in ceremonial offerings.” However, if he has doubts about this ritual and provide offerings without gratefulness for his deceased relatives, what good does it do making these offerings?

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227、古之王者，莫不以教化為大務。立大學①以教於

國②，設庠序③以化於邑，漸④民以仁，摩⑤民以義，

節民以禮。故其刑罰甚輕而禁不犯者，教化行而習俗

美也。


【註釋】①大學：即太學，我國古代設於京城的最高

學府。大，音tài／ㄊㄞˋ。「太」的古字。②國：

國都。③庠序：古代的地方學校。顏師古注「庠序，

教學之處也，所以養老而行禮焉。」④漸：滋潤；潤

澤。⑤摩：砥礪；勉勵。

【白話】古代的君王，沒有不把教化當作治國要務

的。設立太學在國都推行教化，建立庠序（地方學

校）在城邑鄉鎮開展教化，以仁愛惠及人民，以道義

勉勵人民，以禮儀節制人民。所以，刑罰雖然很輕，

但卻沒有人違犯禁令，這是因為教化施行而習俗美好

的緣故。

Teach and Reform


227. The ancient kings regarded the promotion of education as the most important task of a government. They set up imperial universities in the capitals to promote education at the national level, and established local schools to promote education at provincial and district levels, emphasizing the teaching of benevolence, righteousness and civility. Consequently, no one would violate the law although the punishments were light, and moral education was prevalent and social cutoms were refined.


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228、本行而不本名，責義而不責功。行莫大於孝敬，

義莫大於忠信。則天下之人知所以措身矣。此教之大

略也。


【白話】根據行為而不根據名聲，要求人合乎道義而

不追求其功績。沒有比孝敬更大的德行，沒有比忠信

更大的道義。這樣天下臣民就知道該怎麼做了。這是

教化百姓的概要。

228. Judge a man by his conduct, not by his reputation; insist that his actions conform to righteousness instead of emphasizing on his contributions. No other virtues can be greater than filial piety and respect, and no other righteousness can be greater than trustworthiness. In this way, all the ministers and the people will learn how to conduct themselves, and this is the outline of education.


Teach and Reform


229、聖王修義之柄，禮之序，以治人情。治者，去瑕穢，

養精華也。故人情者，聖王之田也。修禮以耕之，和其剛柔。

陳義以種之，樹以善道。講學以耨①之，存是去非類也。本仁以

聚之，合其所盛。播樂以安之。感動使之堅固。故治國不以禮，

猶無耜②而耕也。無以入之也。為禮不本於義，猶耕而不種

也。嘉穀無由生也。為義而不講以學，猶種而不耨也。苗不

殖。草不除。講之以學而不合以仁，猶耨而不穫也。無以知收

之豐荒也。合之以仁而不安以樂，猶穫而不食也。不知味之甘

苦。安之以樂而不達於順，猶食而不肥也。功不見也。


【註釋】①耨：音nòu／ㄋㄡˋ。用耨除草。喻除穢

去邪。②耜：音sì／ㄙˋ。耒下鏟土的部件，初以木

製，後以金屬製作，可拆卸置換。一說，耒、耜為獨

立的兩種翻土農具。

【白話】聖王遵循義的根本、禮的秩序，來調治人

心。因此人心是聖王耕種的土地。用修養禮儀來耕

耘，用倡導道義來播種，用講習學問（存是去非）來

除草，根據仁愛來加以收穫，用樂的教化來安定人

心。因此治理國家如果不用禮，就如同沒有農具而去

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耕田。制定禮儀規範而不以義為宗旨，就好比只耕田

而不播下穀物的種子。推行道義而沒有人來講學以

辨明是非，就好比只播種而不鋤草。只講學而不契合

仁愛的存心，就好比雖然有人除草但也不會有好的收

成。契合仁愛而不以樂的教化來安和人心，就如同雖

有收成而沒能享用成果。用樂教來使人心安定卻不能

達到和順自然的境界，就如同享受了成果而沒有得到

健康。

229. The sage-rulers cultivated righteousness along with propriety to regulate the human mind. Thus, the human mind could be likened to the field where the kings performed his cultivation—propriety was used for plowing; righteousness was used for sowing the seeds; education was used for weeding; benevolence was used for harvesting; and lastly, music was broadcast to ease the minds of the people. A government that does not observe propriety is like a farmer who has no tools to work with. If propriety does not set righteousness as its

Teach and Reform


purpose, it is as if no seeds are sown in the plowed fields. If righteousness is not justifiably applied because lessons have not been conducted to explain its applications, it is as if weeding is not done after the seeds are sown. And if teaching is not conducted in line with benevolence, it is as if the fields are weeded but they do not yield good crops. When benevolence is incorporated in the lessons without giving repose to the human minds, it is as if the harvested crops are gathered but not eaten. When music cannot educate and transform the human mind to achive a state of tranquility, it is as if harvested crops are eaten but they do not bring health benefits.

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230、春秋入學，坐國老①，執醬而親餽②之，所以明有

孝也。行以鸞和③，鸞在衡，和在軾。步中采齊④，趍⑤中⑥肆

夏⑦，樂詩也，步則歌之以中節。所以明有度也。其於禽獸，見

其生，不食其死；聞其聲，不食其肉。故遠庖廚⑧，

所以長恩，且明有仁也。

（卷十六　漢書四）

【註釋】①國老：指告老退職的卿、大夫、士。②親

饋：親自奉進食物。③鸞和：鸞與和，古代車上的

兩種鈴子。④采齊：即采薺，古樂曲名。一說，逸詩

名。⑤趍：同「趨」。疾行。⑥中：音zhòng／ㄓㄨ

ㄥˋ。符合。⑦肆夏：古樂章名。⑧庖廚：廚房。

【白話】太子在春、秋入學時，請國老上坐，手裡捧

著醬，親自奉上，這是用來教導天下人子當盡孝道。

出行時在車上配以鸞鈴、和鈴，步行（慢行）時符合

《采齊》的節奏，疾行時則合於《肆夏》的節奏，這

是用來教導天下之人凡事都要合乎禮節法度。對於禽

獸，見到牠們活著，就不忍心殺死牠們來吃；聽到牠

們的叫聲，就不願意去吃牠們的肉。所以遠離廚房，

為的是增長內心的恩義，且顯明人是有仁愛之心的。

Teach and Reform


230. During spring and autumn, the crown prince would enrol in school. At the beginning of the school term, retired senior ministers and scholars were invited to sit at their respective honored seats as the prince held a platter of food with both hands to serve these elders. This was a rite to educate the people that all children must perform their filial duties. The carriage that the prince rode on was decorated with bells. As a royal custom, he would stroll rhythmically to the ancient tune of Cai Qi, and proceed briskly to the tune of Si Xia, indicating (to the people) that everything must be done in accordance with propriety. With regard to animals, he would not kill them for meat, and if he could hear their cries he would not bear to eat their meat. Thus the rule of “distancing oneself from the kitchen” was established as a means to increase one’s compassion and to show that human beings are by nature benevolent.


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231、孔子曰：「聖人之治化也，必刑政相參①焉。太

上以德教民，而以禮齊之。其次以政導民，以刑禁

之。化之弗變，導之弗從，傷義敗俗，於是乎用刑

矣。」


【註釋】①相參：相互配合。

【白話】孔子回答道：「聖賢治理教化民眾，一定是

刑罰和政令相互配合使用。最好的辦法是用道德來

教化民眾，並用禮法加以約束。其次是用政令引導民

眾，並用刑罰加以禁止。如果教育之後還不能改變，

引導之後還不聽從，以至於違背道義而敗壞風俗，在

這種情況下才用刑罰來懲處。」

231. Confucius said: “A sage-ruler will use a combination of laws and punishments to govern and transform the people. The best way to achieve this end is to educate people about the values of virtues, and to use propriety to control their desires. Second to this is to enact laws to guide the people, and to use punishment to deter people from committing crimes. It is only when education fails to transform

Teach and Reform


unbecoming behaviors, and guidance fails to deter a person from committing offenses that punishment will be used to stop the offenders from corrupting the society.”


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232、故聖王務教化而省禁防①，知其不足恃也。


【註釋】①禁防：謂禁止防範。

【白話】所以聖明的君主致力於教化而減省禁防舉

措，知道憑藉禁止、防範是靠不住的。

232. A sage-ruler would devote more efforts toward education, rather than prohibitions, for he knew prohibitions and precautions alone could not be relied upon to transform human behavior.


Teach and Reform


233、威辟①既用，而苟免②之行興；仁信道孚③，故

感被之情著。苟免者，威隟④則奸起；感被者，人亡

而思存⑤。


【註釋】①威辟：嚴酷的刑法。②苟免：苟且免

罪。③孚：信服，信從。④隟：古同「隙」。空隙；

可乘之機。⑤思存：思念，念念不忘。存，銘記在

心。

【白話】嚴酷的刑法一經施用，以不當手段求得免罪

的行為便會興起；落實仁義道德為人信服，所以人心

受到感化的效果就很顯著。以不當手段希求免罪，刑

法有漏洞時，奸邪之事就會發生；人心受到感化，儘

管施政者已去世，人們還將他的恩德銘記在心。

233. Once the practice of imposing severe punishment is employed, the custom of resorting to illegal means to escape punishment will spring up. But the practice of humaneness can gain people’s trust, thus making the effect of transformation much more noticeable. Using illegal

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means and loopholes to escape from punishment will lead to strings of deviant behavior, whereas when people are touched by the humaneness of an official, they will remember the kindness of that official long after his passing.


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234、治國，太上養化①，其次正法②。民交讓，爭處

卑，財利爭受少，事力爭就勞，日化上③而遷善④，

不知其所以然，治之本也。利賞而勸善，畏刑而不敢

為非，法令正於上，百姓服於下，治之末也。


【註釋】①養化：謂致力於道德教化，轉變人心、風

俗，使其歸於自然。②正法：依法制裁、辦理。③化

上：受君主感化。④遷善：改過向善。

【白話】治理國家，最上之策是以道德來感化，其次

是依據法律治理。使民眾互相謙讓，爭相處於卑下，

面對財利爭相拿少的部分，面對工作爭相做勞累的事

情，每天受到君王的教化，在不知不覺中逐漸向善，

這是治國的根本。百姓把獎賞當作利益而勉力為善，

畏懼刑罰而不敢為非作歹，君王的法令公正嚴明，百

姓服從，這是治理國家的次要之事。

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234. In the governing of a country, the best policy is to use virtues to transform undesirable behaviors and customs, with legal proceedings come second. Encourage the people to be courteous and humble toward one another, and to accept smaller shares in any financial gains and compete with each other for tougher jobs. Being influenced by the ruler’s virtues daily, they would eventually become better persons. Such were the primary tasks in governing. When the people saw rewards as the incentives to perform good deeds, and when they did not dare to commit crimes for fear of punishment, and obeyed the laws because their ruler was strict and impartial, these matters would remain the secondary tasks in governing.

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Teach and Reform


235、聖王先德教，而後刑罰；立榮恥，而明防禁①；

崇禮義之節，以示之；賤貨利之弊②，以變之。則下

莫不慕義節（節作禮）之榮，而惡貪亂之恥。其所由致

之者，化使然也。


【註釋】①防禁：防備禁戒。②弊：通「幣」。

財物。

【白話】聖王先實行德教，而後才使用刑罰；樹立榮

辱的標準和觀念，並明示應當防止和禁戒的事項；

崇尚禮義的節操，並給百姓做示範；輕視貨物財利，

來改變人們的貪婪。那麼，臣民就沒有誰不喜歡禮義

節操的光榮，而厭惡貪婪淫亂的可恥。之所以能使百

姓達到這樣的原因，都是教化的結果。

235. A sage-ruler would resort to moral education prior to imposing punishment on people. He would establish the standards and perceptions regarding honor and disgrace, and clarified matters that were prohibited. He would honor the practice of civility and serve as a role model for his

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people to emulate. He would despise huge profits derived from commercial transactions to discourage people from greed. Thus, no one would belittle honors brought on by civility, and people would despise the disgrace brought about by greed. These are the results of transformation through education.


Teach and Reform


236、聖人之於法也已公矣，然猶身懼其未也。故

曰：「與其害善，寧其利淫①。」知刑當之難必②

也，從而救之以化，此上古之所務也。


【註釋】①與其害善，寧其利淫：出自《周書•列傳

第十五》。②難必：難以肯定。

【白話】聖人治法已經很公正了，可是仍然擔心尚有

不公之處。所以說：「與其傷害賢善之人，寧可利於

有罪之人。」他們深知量刑適當與否難以肯定，於是

用道德教化來補救，這是上古時期的古聖先王所致力

做的事情。

236. Even when a sage can maintain absolute fairness in the execution of the law, he nevertheless feared the possibility of making a wrongful sentence. Thus it was said: “Rather than harming an innocent good man, it is better to give benefit of doubt to the convicted.” He knew it was difficult to be absolutely certain about the appropriateness of the penalty applied, so he would rather use moral education to make

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up for possible shortcomings. The ancient rulers were all dedicated to governing along this line of thought.

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237、孔子曰：「不教而誅謂之虐①。」虐政用於下，

而欲德教之被四海，故難成也。


【註釋】①虐：殘暴，凶殘。

【白話】孔子說：「不先對人民進行教化，而人民犯

了罪就將其誅殺，這叫做暴虐。」使用暴虐的政治對

待下民，卻想使道德教化普及天下，所以很難成功。

237. Confucius said: “To put people to death without educating them (on the merits of virtues) is called cruelty.” If the government intends to promote moral education on the one hand but imposes tyrannical punishments on the other, it would be extremely difficult for people to accept moral education.


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238、聖王在位，明好憎以示人（人作之），經①誹譽以導

之，親賢而進之，賤不肖而退之。無被瘡流血之患，

而有高世尊顯之名，民孰不從？古者法設而不犯，刑

措而不用，非可刑而不刑也，百工②維時，庶績③咸

熙④，禮義修而任賢得也。


【註釋】①經：度量；劃分。②百工：百官。③庶

績：各種事業。④熙：興盛。

【白話】聖明的君主居於高位，闡明好惡來昭示國

人，通過對善惡行為的批評、稱譽來引導人民，親近

賢人並提拔他，鄙棄不賢的人並罷免他。沒有受傷流

血之苦，而能夠享有崇高尊顯的名聲，百姓誰不願意

學習效法呢？古代制定了法律卻無人觸犯，設置了刑

罰卻不施用，不是該施刑而不用刑，是因為百官都能

夠做好本職工作，各項事業都興盛成功，禮義得到修

治，賢德之人得到了任用。

Teach and Reform


238. The sage-ruler held a supreme position and disclosed his likes and dislikes to the general public, praising good conduct and criticizing bad demeanor as a guideline for the people to follow. He associated with worthy men and promoted them to office. He rejected unworthy men and dismissed them. He ruled without causing any bloodshed and enjoyed an excellent reputation. Who among the civilians would be unwilling to learn from him and emulate him? The ancient laws were enacted without anyone violating them. Penalties were drawn up without having to enforce them. This was not due to the fact that the officials had chosen not to enforce the penalties, but more so because all government officials were able to perform well in their jobs; success and prosperity were brought to the country; propriety and virtues were widely promoted; and capable and noble men were appointed to serve in the government.


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239、善御民者，一①其德法，正其百官，均齊民力，

和安民心。故令不再而民順從，刑不用而天下化治。

是以天地德之，天地以為有德。而兆民懷之。懷，歸。不能御

民者，棄其德法，專用刑辟②，譬猶御馬，棄其銜勒

而專用箠策③，其不可制也必矣。


【註釋】①一：統一。②辟：刑罰。③箠策：趕馬的

鞭杖。

【白話】善於治理百姓的君王，統一道德和禮法規

範，明確百官職責，協調均衡地使用民力，和順安定

民心。如此，政令不必三令五申，百姓便會順從；

不用刑罰，就能教化治理好天下。其恩德可以感通天

地，億萬百姓都來歸順。不會治理百姓的君王，拋棄

道德和禮法，專用刑罰懲治，就好比駕馭馬匹時，

拋棄嚼子和籠頭，而專用鞭子鞭打，這樣一來，馬車

失控就是必然的了。

Teach and Reform


239. A ruler who is good at governing the country would stipulate the standards for observance of virtues and propriety, designate the duties of each official position clearly, ensure fair deployment of work force and restore peace and order to the country. In this way, civilians would be law-abiding without the need to be forewarned. Thus, peace is maintained without the use of punishment. The acts of virtues of the ruler are able to move heaven and earth, and millions of people would pledge their allegiance to him. On the contrary, a less capable ruler would abandon virtues and propriety, and rely solely on punishment to govern the country. It is like riding a horse carriage but leaving out the halter and bridle, and only whipping the horse to gallop forward. In this way, the chances of driving out of control is inevitable.


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240、景公問晏子曰：「明王之教民何若？」對曰：

「明其教令，而先之以行；養民不苛，而防之以刑。

所求於下者，不務①於上；所禁於民者，不行於身。

故下從其教也。稱事以任民，中聽②以禁邪，不窮③

之以勞，不害之以罰④，上以愛民為法，下以相親為

義，是以天下不相違也。此明王之教民也。」

（卷三十三　晏子）

【註釋】①不務：當作「必務」，此涉上下文諸

「不」字而誤。②中聽：指治獄得當。③窮：盡，

完。④不害之以罰：不用刑罰害民。

【白話】景公問晏子：「英明的君主是怎樣教化人

的？」晏子答道：「闡明教義和政令，且自己率先履

行；養育人民不苛刻嚴厲，而用刑罰預防犯罪。要求

臣民做到的，君王必須要先做到；禁止百姓做的事

情，自己絕不能去做。因此，下民就會聽從其教導。

估量事情的輕重來使用民力，恰當地處理訴訟來禁止

邪惡；不使百姓因過度勞役而筋疲力盡，不用懲罰來

傷害百姓；在上者以愛護百姓為準則，在下者以相親

相愛為道義。這樣，天下之人就不會互相背離。這就

Teach and Reform


是英明的君主教育人民的方法。」

240. Duke Jing of the state of Qi asked Prime Minister Yanzi: “How does a good ruler educate his people?”

To this Yanzi replied: “He makes it very clear to the people about his teachings and decrees, and leads others in implementing these policies. He does not oppress the people, and punishment is imposed only as a way to deter crimes. What he requests of the people he would do the same, and what he prohibits the people from doing he would not commit it himself. Only then will the civilians listen to his order. He would evaluate the extent of human labor needed based on the priority of the tasks, and would handle prosecutions fairly to curb acts of evil. He would not exploit the civilians to the point of exhaution, or use punishment to injure them. Leaders consider showing care to the people as a norm, and his subjects consider caring for one another as moral and righteous practices. If this ideal is achieved, people will not betray one another. This is the way a good ruler governs his people.”

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241、夫聖人之修其身，所以御群臣也。御群臣也，

所以化萬民也。其法輕而易守，其禮簡而易持。其求

諸己也誠，其化諸人也深。


【白話】聖人加強自身的修養，是為了領導群臣。

領導群臣的目的，是為了教化百姓。聖人制定的刑法

寬鬆而容易遵守，制定的禮制簡約而容易受持。聖人

凡事都真誠地要求自己，因此，對百姓的感化就很深

刻。

241. A sage-ruler enhanced his self-cultivation so that he could lead all his ministers to serve as good examples for the people. He enacted laws that were easy to obey and propriety that was simple to be put into practice. He exercised strict disciplines over himself and put his words into actions. In doing so, the people were deeply touched, thereby making the transformation of their conduct possible.

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Teach and Reform


242、故壹野不如壹市，壹市不如壹朝，壹朝不如一

用，一用不如上息欲，上息欲而下反①真矣。不息欲

於上，而欲於下之安靜，此猶縱火焚林，而索原野之

不彫瘁（瘁舊作廢，改之。），難矣！故明君止欲而寬下，急

商而緩農，貴本而賤末，朝無蔽賢之臣，市無專利②

之賈，國無擅山澤之民。


【註釋】①反：同「返」。②專利：壟斷某種生產或

流通以掠取厚利。

【白話】所以，限定民間不如限定集市，限定集市不

如限定朝廷，限定朝廷不如限定用度，限定用度不如

在上者去除奢欲。在上者去除奢欲，百姓就能返璞歸

真。在上者不去除奢欲，卻想讓百姓安穩清靜，這就

如同縱火焚燒森林，還想使原野不凋零枯敗，實在太

難了！所以，英明的君主，遏止欲望，寬待百姓，對

商業從嚴，而對農業寬鬆，重視農桑，不看重商業，

朝廷中沒有蒙蔽賢能的佞臣，集市上沒有專利霸市的

商人，國家沒有擅自開發山澤的人民。

341

242. Instead of monitoring business transactions among the people, the government should monitor the markets. Instead of monitoring the markets, the government should monitor the administration. Instead of monitoring the administration, the government should monitor its expenditure. Instead of monitoring the government expenditure, it would be better if the ruler can control his excessive desires in spending. If the highest authority could control his excessive desires in spending, this would encourage the people to revert to a frugal lifestyle. Simply requesting the people to revert to a frugal lifestyle while continuing his irresponsible spendings would be like hoping the forest would remain intact after a raging forest fire. This is practically impossible! If a ruler is wise, he would restrain his desires, be generous to the people, be strict in dealing with the commercial sector but lenient toward the agricultural sector, and would prioritize agriculture above commercial activities. In his government there would not be any dishonest ministers who could cover up the contributions made by capable and virtuous individuals. Furthermore, there would not

Teach and Reform


be any businessmen who could monopolize a business and make exorbitant profits from it, and no civilians could exploit the mountains and rivers without authorization.

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243、古之聖王，舉孝子而勸之事親，尊賢良而勸之

為善，發憲布令①以教誨，賞罰以勸沮②。若此則亂

者可使治，而危者可使安矣。

（卷三十四　墨子）

【註釋】①發憲布令：發號施令。②沮：阻止，禁

止。

【白話】古時候聖賢的君王，推崇孝子，以勸導人們

侍奉雙親；尊重賢良，以勸導人們做好事；頒布法

令，來教育人民；明確賞罰，來對人民進行勉勵和勸

阻。照這樣做，混亂的社會可使其清明，危險的局面

可使其穩定。

243. The ancient sage-rulers gave high esteem to filial sons to encourage people to respect and care for their parents. They honored the virtuous in order to encourage people to perform good deeds. They issued laws in order to educate people, and established the rewards and penalty system to encourage good deeds and deter bad ones. In so doing, a chaotic society could be transformed into a peaceful

Teach and Reform


and orderly one, and dangerous situations could be transformed to become safe and secure.

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244、教化之流，非家至而人說之也，賢者在位，能者

布職，朝廷崇禮，百僚敬讓，道德之行，由內及外，

自近者始，然後民知所法，遷善日進而不自知。


【白話】教化的普及，並不是要挨家挨戶去對每個人

進行說教，只要賢德的人處在正位，有才能的人安

排到適合的職位，朝廷崇尚禮節，百官互相恭敬謙

讓，道德教化由內而外，從近處（朝廷內部）開始，

然後百姓知道了效法的準則，不知不覺就會日漸改過

向善。

244. It is not necessary to go from door to door to promote education. As long as the ruler is virtuous, with competent officials holding the right positions, and propriety being honored at the court, and the officials being courteous to one another, right conducts would begin from the inner circle to the outer circle, starting with the government itself and spreading to the people as they learn to observe the standards of virtues. Unknowingly, people will transform themselves to become better persons.


Teach and Reform


245、蓋堯之為教，先親後疏，自近及遠，周之文王

亦崇厥化。


【白話】唐堯施行教化，先親後疏，由近到遠，周朝

的文王也遵行這樣的教化。

245. Emperor Yao would exemplify the teachings of saints and sages and further extend this practice to his close relatives and then to the distant ones, starting from near to far. King Wen of the Zhou dynasty also followed this practice.


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246、子曰：「夫民，教之以德，齊①之以禮，則民有

格心②。教之以政，齊之以刑，則民有遯心③。格，來也。

遯，逃也。故君民者，子以愛之，則民親之；信以結之，

則民不背；恭以蒞之，則民有遜心。蒞，臨也。遜，猶順也。」


【註釋】①齊：整飭；整治使有條理。②格心：歸正

之心。指向善的心。格，來，指至於善。③遯心：

逃避刑罰的心。遯，音dùn／ㄉㄨㄣˋ。同「遁」。

逃。

【白話】孔子說：「對待人民，要用道德來教育，用

禮儀來約束，人民才會有向善的心理。如果用政令來

教導，用刑罰來約束，人民就會產生逃避政令和刑罰

的心。所以治理人民的人，如果能夠以愛護兒女的心

來愛護人民，人民就會親附他；能夠以誠信樸實來團

結人民，人民就不會背叛他；能夠恭恭敬敬地深入體

察民情，人民就會自然生起歸順敬服之心。」

Teach and Reform


246. Confucius said: “If the people are guided by virtues and aligned with propriety, their minds would remain untainted. If they are guided by the policies and aligned with punishments, the intention to dodge punishments will exist. Hence, when the ruler loves the people as if they were his children, they will in turn love him dearly. If he can unite them with his integrity, they will not turn away from him. If he can respect and foster better ties with the people, they will naturally pledge their allegiance to him.”

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七、禮樂

Propriety and Music

247、君子曰：「禮樂不可斯須①去身。致②樂以治

心，樂由中出，故治心也。致禮以治躬③。禮自外作，故治身也。心中

斯須不和不樂，而鄙詐之心入之矣。鄙詐入之，謂利欲生也。

外貌斯須不莊不敬，而慢易④之心入之矣。易，輕易也。

故樂也者動於內者也，禮也者動於外者也。樂極則

和，禮極則順⑤。內和而外順，則民瞻其顏色，而不

與爭也；望其容貌，而民不生易慢焉。」


【註釋】①斯須：須臾、片刻。②致：深遠詳審。

③治躬：治身，調整身體與言行。④慢易：輕忽怠

慢。⑤樂極則和，禮極則順：《禮記》通行本作「樂

極和，禮極順」。

【白話】君子說：「人不可片刻離開禮樂。深入於

樂，是為了陶冶心性；深入於禮，是為了調整身體與

言行。一個人的心中如果有片刻不和順不喜樂，那貪

鄙詐偽的念頭就會趁機而入。外貌如果有片刻不莊重

不恭敬，那輕忽怠慢的念頭就會趁虛而入。所以樂是

調理人的內心，禮是調理人外在的行為。音樂至善能

Propriety and Music


使人和暢，禮儀至善能使人恭順。內心和暢而外貌恭

順，則人們望見他的外貌神情，就不會與他抗爭；

看見他的儀容風度，便不會有輕視侮慢的態度。」

247. The man of noble character (Junzi) said: “Not for one moment can human live without propriety and music. Immersing oneself in music serves to embellish the mind, while immersing oneself in propriety serves to regulate the body and one’s words and deeds. If there is for one moment a hint of dissatisfaction and misery in the mind, vulgarity and hypocrisy will seize this opportunity to creep into the mind. If there is for one moment any loss of dignity and respect in one’s composure, arrogance will seize this opportunity to sneak into the mind. Thus, music regulates the mind and propriety regulates the composure. The most virtuous music can help a person to be decent. When his mind is peaceful and his composure is respectful, no one would provoke a fight with him or despise him.”

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248、禮以導其志，樂以和其聲，政以一其行，刑以

防其奸。禮樂刑政，其極一也，所以同民心而出治

道。


【白話】用禮儀引導人心，用音樂調和人情，用政令

統一人們的行為，用刑罰防止人們的邪惡。禮儀、音

樂、刑罰、政令，它們的最終目標是一致的，都是要

使民同心（合乎道德），而實現天下大治的理想。

248. Use propriety to regulate the human mind, use music to regulate human sentiments, use law to standardize human behavior and use punishment to deter wickedness. Propriety, music, punishment and law all share the same goal, which is to guide the human mind toward the virtuous path and realize the ideal of a peaceful world.

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Propriety and Music


249、夫禮之所興，眾之所以治也；禮之所廢，眾之

所以亂也。


【白話】禮樂教化興盛時，民眾就會因此而安定；

禮樂教化廢棄時，民眾就會因此而動亂。

249. The populace will enjoy stability when propriety and music are widely promoted for educational purposes. When propriety and music lose its educational purposes, social unrests will emerge.


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250、中國所以常制四夷者，禮義之教行也。失其所

以教……則同乎禽獸矣。不唯同乎禽獸，亂將甚焉。

何者？禽獸保其性然者也，人以智役力者也。智役力

而無教節，是智巧日用，而相殘無極也。相殘無極，

亂孰大焉？


【白話】中國能制服四夷的原因，是推行了禮義之

教。喪失了禮義教化……也就和禽獸相同了。不僅是

與禽獸相同，甚至比禽獸更混亂無序。為何這麼說

呢？這是因為禽獸保持自己的天性不變，人卻是用巧

智駕馭體力者。以巧智駕馭體力，而沒有禮教加以節

制，就會巧智日見使用，而彼此傷害無窮無盡。彼此

相互傷害無窮無盡，禍亂哪有比這更大的？

250. The fact that China had managed to control its surrounding foreigners was attributed to the promoting of propriety and music, without which humans are no different from the beasts and may even be worse. Why is this so? Unlike a leopard that cannot change its spots, humans can use their intelligence to exercise control over

Propriety and Music


their physical bodies. If this intelligence is used without restraints, it will cause endless harm to one another. What can be more detrimental than this?

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251、禮之可以為國①也久矣，與天地並。君令臣恭，

父慈子孝，兄愛弟敬，夫和妻柔，姑②慈婦聽③，

禮也。

（卷六　春秋左氏傳下）

【註釋】①為國：治國。②姑：丈夫的母親，即婆

婆。③聽：聽從、順從。

【白話】晏嬰回答說：「禮可以用來治理國家已經

（由來）很久了，可以說是和天地並興。君王美善，

臣下恭敬；父親慈祥，兒子孝順；哥哥友愛，弟弟恭

順；丈夫和藹，妻子溫柔；婆婆慈祥，媳婦順從。這

些都是禮的內涵。」

251. Yan Ying said: “The practice of using propriety to govern a country existed a long time ago, perhaps as far back as the beginning of heaven and earth. If a ruler is kind and virtuous, his ministers will serve him with great reverence. If parents are kind, their children will be filial. If elder siblings treat their younger siblings with fraternal love, the younger brothers will in return treat them with

Propriety and Music


respect. If a husband is kind, the wife will be gentle. If a mother-in-law is caring, the daughter-in-law will be obedient. These are all the essential attributes of propriety.”


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252、不知禮義，不可以行法①。法能教不孝，不能使

人孝；能刑盜者，不能使人廉（廉下無恥字）恥。


【註釋】①行法：依法度行事。

【白話】百姓不知道禮義，就不能依法辦事。法律能

夠教訓不孝之人，卻不能使人有孝心；能夠懲治盜

賊，卻不能使人產生廉恥。

252. People who do not understand propriety are unlikely to be law-abiding. Laws can teach a lesson to unfilial children but are unable to make them behave like filial children. Laws can also punish criminals but are unable to make them feel shameful.

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Propriety and Music


253、民無廉恥，不可治也。非修禮義，廉恥不立。

民不知禮義，法弗能正也。非崇善廢醜，不向禮義。


【白話】民眾如果沒有廉恥之心，就無法治理好。

而不學習禮義，民眾的廉恥觀念就不會樹立。民眾不

懂禮義，法律也無法使他們行為端正。不推崇善舉、

廢除惡習，民眾就不會嚮往禮義。

253. When people do not have a sense of shame, they cannot be made to obey the law. If propriety is not practiced, their sense of shame cannot be established. Not even the law can make people correct their behavior if the populace does not understand the purpose of propriety. People will not look up to propriety if the government fails to promote good deeds and eliminate bad behavior.


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254、子曰：「禮云禮云，玉帛云乎哉？言禮非但崇此玉帛而

已，所貴者乃貴其安上治民。樂云樂云，鐘鼓云乎哉？」樂之所貴者，

移風易俗也，非但謂鐘鼓而已。


【白話】孔子說：「禮啊禮啊，僅是指玉帛等禮品

嗎？樂啊樂啊，僅是指鐘鼓這些樂器嗎？（禮的可貴

之處，在於能夠使上位者安於其位，使下位者受到教

化而各得其所。樂的可貴之處，在於能改善社會風

俗。）

254. Confucius said: “According to the rules of propriety, are gems and silk all that is meant by propriety? According to the rules of music, are bells and drums all that is meant by music?” (The importance of propriety lies in the fact that it can establish the ruler’s position and so he can govern the country well, while music is not just about striking bells and drums but it can regulate and bring about refined social practices).

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Propriety and Music


255、曾子曰：「夫行也者，行禮之謂也。夫禮，

貴者敬焉，老者孝焉，幼者慈焉，小者友焉，賤者惠

焉。此禮也。」


【白話】曾子說：「所謂行，就是實踐禮的意思。

禮，就是對尊貴之人恭敬，對老人孝順，對小孩慈

愛，對年輕人友愛，對貧賤之人施予恩惠。這些都是

禮的表現。」

255. Zengzi said: “When we say ‘put into practice,’ it means the practice of propriety. Propriety is the respect shown to the nobles, the filial obedience shown to parents, the kindness shown to children, the friendliness shown to young people, and the care and help shown to the poor and needy. These are all the significance of propriety.”

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256、為男女之禮，妃匹①之合，則不淫矣。為廉恥

之教，知足之分，則不盜矣。以賢制爵，令（舊令作有，

改之）民德厚矣。


【註釋】①妃匹：指婚配之事。

【白話】制定男女間的禮法、夫妻結合的規範，就沒

有淫亂之事了。施行廉恥的教化，使百姓知足盡分，

就不會有盜竊的事了。以賢良為標準授予爵位，就會

使百姓道德淳厚。

256. By regulating rules and customs for marriage and proper civility between males and females as well as husbands and wives, issues relating to promiscuity can be prevented. By implementing educational policies that promote integrity and a sense of shamefulness, people will be encouraged to be contented, and thefts and robberies can thereby be prevented. Stressing virtues as the noble norm to acquire royal titles will influence the populace to become honest and kind.


Propriety and Music


257、聖王之自為動靜周旋①，奉天承親，臨朝享臣，

物②有節文③，以章人倫。蓋欽翼④祗栗⑤，事天之容

也；溫恭敬遜，承親之禮也；正躬嚴恪⑥，臨眾之儀

也；嘉惠和說⑦，饗下之顏也。舉錯⑧動作，物遵其

儀，故形⑨為仁義，動為法則。


【註釋】①周旋：古代行禮時進退揖讓的動作。

②物：事。③節文：禮節、儀式。④欽翼：恭敬

謹慎。欽，尊敬，恭敬。翼，恭敬，謹肅。⑤祗

栗：亦作「祗慄」。敬慎恐懼。祗，音zh ī／ㄓ。

恭敬。粟，畏懼。⑥嚴恪：莊嚴恭敬貌。⑦和說：即

「和悅」。⑧錯：通「措」。⑨形：表現。

【白話】聖王的言行舉止，無論奉事上天、侍奉父

母、處理政事、任用臣僚，事事都合禮節制度，以彰

顯人倫大道。恭敬謹慎，敬畏戰慄，是奉事上天的禮

儀；溫和恭順、敬慎謙遜，是侍奉雙親的禮節；端莊

自身，嚴謹恭敬，是治理百姓的威儀；和顏悅色，慈

善仁惠，是對待臣下的禮儀。聖王言行舉止，事事都

遵循禮儀，所以表現在外的行為都合於仁義，一舉一

363

動都可作為眾人的榜樣。

257. The composure of a sage-ruler, in attending to the rites of heaven, in serving his parents, in managing his administration by working with ministers and advisors, must all be done in accordance to propriety so that the norm of moral and ethics is fully demonstrated. In attending to the rites of heaven, he displays respect and caution, reverence and fear; in serving his parents, he displays gentleness, respect and modesty; in governing the people, he displays regality and respect; in working with ministers and advisors, he radiates generosity, grace and benevolence. In all his demeanors, he stays on course with propriety and everything he does is within the parameter of benevolence and honor, so he is fit to be a role model for the people.


Propriety and Music


258、哀有哭踊①之節，樂有歌舞之容。正人足以副②

其誠，邪人足以防其失。


【註釋】①哭踊：古代喪禮儀節。亦稱「擗踊」。頓

足拍胸而哭，表示極大的悲哀。踴，跳。②副：相

稱，符合。

【白話】（古禮中）悲痛時會有邊哭邊頓足的禮節，

高興時會有載歌載舞的儀容。這對正直的人來說，足

以與他的真誠相符；對偏邪的人來說，足以提防他的

過失。

258. The ancient funeral rites included crying, beating one’s chest and stamping one’s feet to express extreme grief, while the ancient rejoicing rites included singing and dancing to express one’s pleasures. To an upright person, these rites were sufficient to conform to his sincerity, and to an immoral person, these rites were sufficient to guard against his mistakes.


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259、樂至①則無怨，禮至則不爭。揖讓而治天下者，

禮樂之謂也。至，猶達行。


【註釋】①至：指通行無阻。

【白話】樂教通行則人人心情舒暢而無怨恨，禮教通

行則人人心存謙讓而無衝突。君王只要拱手揖讓之

間，天下就可以無為而治，說的就是用禮與樂來治理

天下。

259. If music is customarily used for educating people to ease their mind, nobody will have any grievances. When propriety is customarily used for educating people to be mindful of humility, there should be no disputes. If a ruler is accommodating and modest, the country will be well governed, and all this means is that the ruler has been successful in promoting propriety and music in governing.

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Propriety and Music


260、樂以治內而為同，同於和樂也。禮以修外而為異。尊卑為異。同則和親，異則畏敬。和親則無怨，畏敬則不

爭。


【白話】音樂能用來調治人的內心，使人的情志隨著

音樂一起變得安和調適；禮儀能用來修治外在行為，

使人與人之間尊卑有序。內心安和人們就會和睦親

愛，尊卑有別則會使人心存敬畏。和睦親愛就不會有

怨恨，心存敬畏就不會有爭鬥。

260. Music can be used to regulate the human mind and pacify one’s sentiments to a state of inner calmness. Propriety can be used to regulate human behavior and encourage people to respect social ranks and order. When the mind is in a state of calmness, people will begin to care for one another and become sociable; when there is an awareness of orderliness, people will know where they stand in the society. No resentment will arise when the mind is loving and harmonious; no fighting will arise when there is mutual respect for one another.


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261、人君無禮，無以臨①其一（無一字）邦；大夫無禮，

官吏不恭；父子無禮，其家必凶。《詩》曰：「人而

無禮，胡②不遄③死。」故禮不可去也。


【註釋】①臨：治，治理。②胡：為什麼。③遄：音

chuán／ㄔㄨㄢˊ。迅速。

【白話】君主如果不講禮義，就無法治理國家；大夫

如果不講禮義，底下官吏就會不恭敬；父子之間不講

禮義，家庭就必有災殃。《詩經》中說：「人如果不

遵守禮義，不如趕快去死。」所以禮不可以去掉啊！

261. A ruler who is ill-mannered will not be able to govern properly. A minister who is ill-mannered will have disrespectful subordinates. If manners are not observed between parents and children, a family will be ruined. It was forewarned in Shi Jing that “a life without propriety is a life not worth living.” Hence, we cannot do without propriety.

Scroll 33: Yan Zi

Propriety and Music


八、愛民

Caring about People

262、聖人常善救人，聖人所以常教人忠孝者，欲以救人性命也。故無

棄人；使貴賤各得其所也。常善救物，聖人所以常教民順四時者，以救萬物

之殘傷也。故無棄物。不賤石而貴玉。


【白話】古代的聖王在位，總是很善於（以教化）挽

救人，所以沒有被拋棄不管的人；總是善於利益萬物

並發揮其功效，所以沒有被廢棄的物品。

262. The sage-ruler in the past was capable of educating his people and no one was forsaken. He was also good at taking care of all things, and so nothing was wasted.

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263、天下有粟①，聖人食之；天下有民，聖人收之；

天下有物，聖人裁之。利天下者取天下，安天下者有

天下，愛天下者久天下，仁天下者化天下。


【註釋】①粟：糧食的通稱。

【白話】太公說：「天下的糧食，由聖人分配享用；

天下的百姓，由聖人治理；天下的萬物，由聖人裁

處。為天下謀利益者取得天下，使天下安定者擁有天

下，愛護天下百姓者可以長久地統治天下，仁德普施

天下者可以化育天下。」

263: Tai Gong said: “The sage will distribute all food under heaven fairly for everyone’s consumption. The sage will govern all the people under heaven well, and he will also be the decision maker for the distribution of all things under heaven. He who brings benefits to the world will win the world; he who brings peace to the world will own the world; he who loves and protects all the people in the world will rule the world for a long time; and he who implements benevolent policies will educate and transform the world.”

Scroll 31: Liu Tao

Caring about People


264、堯以不得舜為己憂，舜以不得禹、皋陶為己

憂。分人以財謂之惠，教人以善謂之忠，為天下得人

謂之仁。是故以天下與人易，為天下得人難。


【白話】堯帝以不能得到像舜這樣的人而最為憂慮，

舜也同樣，以不能得到像禹和皋陶這樣的人而憂心。

把財物分給別人稱作惠，用好的道理教誨別人稱作

忠，為國家求得賢德之士稱作仁。所以說，把天下讓

給別人容易，而為天下找到大公無私的賢能之士就難

了！

264. Emperor Yao was most worried that his chosen successor Shun might not accept his offer to be the emperor; likewise, the latter Emperor Shun was most worried that sages like Yu and Gao Yao might not accept his offer to be the emperor. The act of distributing money and properties to others is considered as kindness; the act of educating people to become better persons is considered as faithfulness; the act of searching for competent people to serve in the government is considered as benevolence.

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Hence it was said: “Easy it is to forsake the throne to others but difficult it is to find sages who could serve the people selflessly.”

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Caring about People


265、視民如子。見不仁者誅之，如鷹鸇之逐鳥雀

也。


【白話】把百姓看作子女一般。見到不仁者就懲治

他，就像老鷹、鸇鳥追趕小鳥那樣。

265. Treat the people as if they were your children. Punish wicked people like a hawk going after the birds.


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266、古之賢君，飽而知人之飢，溫而知人之寒，逸

而知人之勞。


【白話】古代的賢明君主，自己吃飽時，便想到貧窮

百姓的飢餓；自己穿暖時，便想到貧寒百姓的受凍；

自己生活安逸時，便想到天下百姓的勞苦。

266. While the ancient sage-rulers had sufficient food to eat they would remember people who were starving. While they had adequate clothing they would remember people who were freezing in the cold. While they lived in comfort they would remember many people who were toiling hard in the world.

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Caring about People


267、故古之君人者，甚憯怛①於民也。國有飢者，

食不重味②；民有寒者，而冬不被③裘。歲豐穀登④，

乃始懸鐘鼓陳干戚⑤，君臣上下同心而樂之，國無哀

人。


【註釋】①憯怛：音cǎn dá／ㄘㄢˇ ㄉㄚˊ。憂傷，

悲痛。憯，憂傷。怛，悲傷、愁苦。②重味：兩種以

上菜肴。③被：後作「披」。穿著。④登：成熟，豐

收。⑤干戚：盾與斧。古代的兩種兵器。亦為武舞所

執的舞具。

【白話】古時候為人君者，真正為百姓的痛苦遭遇而

悲傷。國民中有挨餓的，君主吃飯時就不要第二道

菜；民眾中有受凍的，君主冬天就不穿裘衣。只有年

終五穀豐登、百姓富足的時候，才開始懸掛起鐘鼓，

陳列起干戚，君臣官民同心歡樂，國內沒有悲哀的

人。

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267. The wise rulers of the ancient times were truly sympathetic toward the suffering of their people. If some people did not have enough to eat, the rulers would not eat a second dish; if some people did not have enough clothing to keep them warm, the rulers would not wear fur coats. Only when the annual harvest was abundant and everyone was prospering were bells and drums hung, and axes and shields displayed23. Celebrating together with the officials and the people, no one would feel sorrowful in their land.


23 The drums, bells, axes and shields denote that music and dance were performed to celebrate the occasion, since axes and shields were also used in the performance of military dances.

Caring about People


268、孟子曰：「以佚道①使②民，雖勞不怨；謂教民趣農，

役有常時，不使失業，當時雖勞，後獲其利則逸矣。以生道殺民，雖死不

怨殺者。」殺此罪人者，其意欲生人也，故雖伏罪而死，不怨殺者也。


【註釋】①佚道：使百姓安樂之道。②使：役使；使

喚。

【白話】孟子說：「以謀求百姓安樂的出發點使用民

力，百姓縱然勞苦也不會怨恨；以保障百姓生存的出

發點處死有罪的人，罪人雖被處死也不怨恨殺他的

人。」

268. Mengzi said: “Deploying civilian forces for the sake of public interests will not cause discontentment among the people. Sentencing someone to death for the sake of public security will not evoke hatred from the offender.”

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269、敬賢如大賓①，愛民如赤子。內恕情之所安，

而施之海內。是以囹圄空虛，天下太平。


【註釋】①大賓：泛指國賓。

【白話】尊敬賢才就像尊敬國賓一樣，愛護百姓如同

愛護嬰兒一般。自己感到心安理得的事情，才在全國

實施。因此監獄空虛，天下太平。

269. Honor the virtuous like you would honor the state guests. Love the people like you would love a child. If your conscience is clear about a decision, you will implement it throughout the nation. In this way, there will be no convicts in prison and there will be peace and order in the world.


Caring about People


270、良君養民如子，蓋之如天，容之如地。民奉其

君，愛之如父母，仰之如日月，敬之如神明，畏之如

雷霆。


【白話】賢良的國君養育臣民如同自己的子女，像天

一樣庇護百姓，像地一樣容納百姓。百姓尊奉國君，

熱愛他如同熱愛父母，敬慕他如同敬慕日月，尊重他

如同尊重神靈，畏懼他如同畏懼雷霆。

270. A good ruler will nurture the people like his own children, protect them the way heaven would do and accommodate them the way earth would do. People will accept their ruler as if he were their parent, admire him as if he were the sun and the moon, revere him as if he were a divine being, and be fearful of him as if he were the thunderbolt.


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271、樂民之樂者，人亦樂其樂；憂人之憂者，民亦

憂其憂。樂以天下，憂以天下，然而不王者，未之有

也。


【白話】國君能以老百姓的快樂為快樂，老百姓也會

以你的快樂為快樂；國君能憂老百姓所憂愁的，老

百姓也會以你的憂愁為憂愁。以天下百姓的快樂為快

樂，以天下百姓的憂愁為憂愁，這樣還不能夠稱王天

下，是從來沒有的事啊！

271. If a ruler regards the happiness of the people as his own, the people will also regard his happiness as their own. If a ruler sees the concerns of the people as his own, the people will also regard his worries as their own. Both the happiness and hardship of the people are inseparable from his conscience. Thus, how would such rulers fail to run their administration successfully?

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Caring about People


九、民生

The Livelihood of People

272、民生①在勤，勤則不匱。


【註釋】①民生：民眾的生計、生活。

【白話】民生在於勤勞，勤勞則生計不會困乏。

272. The livelihood of people relies on hard work, and hard work will assure there is no shortage of daily necessities.


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273、筦子①曰：「倉廩②實知禮節。」民不足而可治

者，自古及今，未之嘗聞。


【註釋】①筦子：即管仲。筦，同「管」。②倉廩：

貯藏米穀的倉庫。

【白話】管子說：「倉庫裡的糧食充實了，才可以教

導人們懂得禮節。」人民的衣食不足而能使國家得到

治理的，從古到今還沒有聽說過。

273. Guanzi said: “After the national granary has sufficient food supply, we can educate the people on propriety.” From the ancient times until today, it has never been possible to rule a country successfully when the people were starving and did not have enough clothing to keep them warm.




274、民貧則奸邪生。貧生於不足，不足生於不農，

不農則不地著①，不地著則離鄉輕家。民如鳥獸，雖

有高城深池，嚴法重刑，猶不能禁也。


【註釋】①地著：定居於一地。

【白話】人民貧窮，就會有奸詐邪惡的事發生。貧窮

是因為物資不足，物資不足是因為人們不致力於農業

生產，人們不務農就不會安居在一地，不能定居一地

人們就會輕易離開家鄉。（如果）百姓像鳥獸般沒有

固定的衣食來源，又居無定所，即使有高大的城牆和

很深的護城河，有嚴厲的法律和刑罰，仍不能禁止他

們做出種種不法行為。

274. When people are impoverished, crimes and acts of evil would occur. Poverty arises due to insufficient supply of resources caused by people unwilling to work in the fields. When agricultural productions are set aside, families will not settle in one place for long and will migrate from one place to another. If they wander about like the birds and

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beasts without a regular source of food, clothing and a place to stay, not even high walls with deep moats or harsh laws and corporal punishments could stop them from committing crimes.




275、夫治獄者得其情，則無冤死之囚；丁①壯者得

盡地力，則無饑饉之民；窮老者得仰食②倉廩，則無

餒餓之殍③；嫁娶以時，則男女無怨曠之恨；胎養

必全，則孕者無自傷之哀；新生必復④，則孩者無不

育之累⑤；壯而後役，則幼者無離家之思；二毛⑥不

戎，則老者無頓伏⑦之患。醫藥以療其疾，寬繇以樂

其業，威罰以抑其強，恩仁以濟其弱，賑貸⑧以贍其

乏。十年之後，既笄⑨者必盈巷；二十年之後，勝兵⑩者必滿野矣。


【註釋】①丁：壯盛；強壯。②仰食：依靠他人而得

食。③殍：音piǎo／ㄆㄧㄠˇ。餓死的人。④復：謂

免除徭役或賦稅。⑤累：憂患。⑥二毛：斑白的頭

髮。常用以指老年人。⑦頓伏：猶跌倒。⑧賑貸：

救濟。⑨笄：音jī／ㄐㄧ。指女子十五歲成年。⑩勝

兵：指能充當兵士參加作戰的人。

【白話】如果審理案件的人能獲得真實的案情，那麼

就沒有冤死的囚犯；健壯的男子能充分利用土地的潛

力，那麼就沒有遭受災荒的百姓；貧窮年老的人能得

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到國家救濟的糧食，那麼就沒有被餓死的人；讓人們

按適婚年齡進行嫁娶，那麼男女就不會有無妻無夫的

怨恨；胎兒的養育都能保障，那麼孕婦就沒有自我傷

感的哀歎；對有新生兒的家庭一定免除徭役，那麼嬰

兒就沒有無人養育的憂患。人到健壯後再服勞役，那

麼年幼的人就不會有離家的鄉思；年邁的人不再從軍

當兵，那麼老年人就不會有跌倒（在行軍路上）的擔

憂。用醫藥治療人民的疾病，寬減徭役使百姓安居樂

業，用刑罰來抑制豪強，用恩惠、仁愛來幫助弱者，

發放救濟錢糧來供給貧乏。這樣，十年之後，成年的

女子必定會充滿街巷；二十年之後，能夠當兵參戰的

人必定會遍布鄉野。

275. If the prosecutors can gather all the concrete truths behind a crime, no prisoner will be wrongly executed. If healthy and strong men can be allowed to toil in the fields, there will be no famine. If the poor elderly can receive food supply from the government, they will not die from hunger. Let men and women marry at a suitable age and there will be no resentments arising from someone not having a husband or a wife. If benefits can be provided for



raising a child, a pregnant woman will not wallow in self-pity and feel woeful. If families with newborn babies can be spared from mandatory labor for the state, there is no worry about not having anyone to take care of the babies. Wait until a person has grown up to become a healthy and strong adult before summoning him to labor for the state and no young men will feel homesick. Furthermore, if old people are not enlisted in the army there is no worry that they may collapse on the road during a drill. Attend to ill people with medication; reduce the loads of mandatory farm labor to allow people to settle in their lives; use punishment to control exploitations; use benevolence and kindness to help the weak; and extend relief to the poor and destitute. In ten years’ time, women who reach the mature age will fill the streets and alleys; in twenty years’ time, men who can be enlisted into the army will be all over the country.


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十、法古

Learn from the Past

276、故為高必因丘陵，為下必因川澤，為政不因先

王之法，可謂智乎？言因自然，既用力少，而成功多。是以惟仁者

宜在高位，不仁而在高位，是播惡於眾也。仁者能由先王之

道。不仁者逆道，則播揚其惡於眾人也。


【白話】堆高就一定要憑藉本來就突起的丘陵，掘深

就一定要憑藉本來就低陷的川澤，而治理政事卻不依

據古代聖王之道，能算得上明智嗎？因此，只有有仁

德的人才能居於高位，如果沒有仁德而又居於高位，

這樣就會把他的禍害傳播到民眾身上。

276. To go any higher we must first stand on higher grounds or on a hilltop. To dig any deeper we must commence from low-lying streams or marshes. Can a ruler be pronounced competent if he does not govern according to the ways of former wise kings? Therefore, only the benevolent should occupy high positions. A man lacking in benevolence who occupies a high position will only influence the people through his wicked ways.

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Learn from the Past


277、昔帝堯，上世之所謂賢君也。堯王①天下之時，

金銀珠玉弗服，錦繡文綺②弗衣③，奇怪異物弗視，

玩好之器弗寶，淫佚之樂弗聽，宮垣④室屋弗崇，茅

茨⑤之蓋不剪，衣履不敝盡不更為，滋味⑥重累⑦不

食，不以役作之故，留⑧耕種之時，削心約志，從事

乎無為，其自奉⑨也甚薄，役賦也甚寡。故萬民富樂

而無飢寒之色，百姓戴⑩其君如日月，視其君如父

母。


【註釋】①王：音wàng／ㄨㄤˋ。統治，稱王。②

文綺：華麗的絲織物。③衣：音yì／ㄧˋ。穿。④宮

垣：泛指房舍或其他建築物的圍墻。特指皇宮的圍

墻。垣：音yuán／ㄩㄢˊ。指墻、城墻。⑤茅茨：

茅草蓋的屋頂。亦指茅屋。茨，音cí／ㄘˊ。⑥滋

味：美味。⑦重累：猶重疊。相同的東西層層相積。

形容多。⑧留：拖延，擱置。⑨自奉：謂自身日常生

活的供養。⑩戴：尊奉，擁戴。

【白話】從前的堯帝，上古時代的人們稱他是賢君。

堯帝統治天下時，不佩戴金銀珠玉，不穿著錦繡華美

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的衣服，不觀賞珍貴奇異的物品，不珍藏供玩賞的寶

器，不聽恣縱逸樂的音樂，不修建高大的圍墻和宮

室，不修剪茅草覆蓋的屋頂，衣服鞋子不破舊就不去

更換，美味佳餚過多就不去食用，不因工役勞作的緣

故而耽誤百姓耕種的農時，去除私心、約束欲望，致

力於無為之治。堯帝自身日常生活的供養則很微薄，

徵用勞役賦稅也很少，所以天下萬民富足安樂而沒有

飢寒的面色。百姓尊奉他們的君主如同日月一樣，看

待他們的君主如同父母一般。

277. The ancients honored Emperor Yao as a virtuous ruler. When Yao was the emperor he did not adorn himself with gold, silver, pearls, and jade. He did not wear brocaded, embroidered, or florid costumes. He did not admire rare and exotic items. He took no interest in collecting treasured wares that were pleasing to the eyes. He did not listen to licentious music, nor did he build lavish enclosing walls and chambers. He did not crop the reeds that grew on the roof of his thatched hut. He did not replace clothes or shoes that were not worn out. He would not eat if too many dishes were served to him. He did not interfere

Learn from the Past


with the agricultural production by taking farm labors away to work on state projects. Yao was unselfish, moderate, and administered with a policy of non-interference. He lived by little and collected very few taxes. Hence, all the people were rich and happy and none was poor and starving. The people revered their ruler like they would worship the sun and the moon, and looked upon him as if he were their parent.

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278、五德以時合散（散作教），以為民紀，古之道也。仁

義勇智信，民之本，隨時而施舍，為民綱紀，古之所傳政道也。

（卷三十三　司馬法）

【白話】將五德（此指仁、義、勇、智、信）適時地

付諸教育，作為人民行為的準則，這是自古以來的法

則。

278. The objective of incorporating the five virtues (benevolence, righteousness, courage, wisdom and trustworthiness) into the education system was to enable them to serve as the ethical standards of people’s behavior. This has been a customary practice since ancient times.

Scroll 33: Si Ma Fa

Learn from the Past


十一、賞罰

Reward and Punishment

279、賞在於成民之生，罰在於使人無罪，是以賞罰

施民而天下化矣。


【白話】獎賞的目的是成就人民更好的生活，刑罰的

目的是使人不會犯罪。因此，賞罰用來治理百姓，

天下人心就會受感化了。

279. The purpose of giving rewards is to encourage the people to be kind and to lead a better life, whereas the purpose of punishment is to deter people from committing crimes. Thus, governing the people with a combination of rewards and punishments will transform people to become better persons.

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280、善治民者，開其正道，因所好而賞之，則民樂

其德也；塞其邪路，因所惡而罰之，則民畏其威矣。


【白話】善於治理百姓的人，開闢百姓向善的正道，

順著人好善好德的天性獎賞善人，則百姓自然歡喜地

感戴其恩德；杜絕百姓行惡的邪路，順著人厭惡邪惡

的天性懲罰罪行，則百姓自然會畏懼其威嚴。

280. A well-run government will open up ways to encourage people to walk on the righteous path and award good people based on the human propensity for kindness. As a result, people are thankful for the government’s thoughtfulness. At the same time, a good government will stop all evil means that can mislead people to commit crimes and impose punishments based on the human dislike for wickedness. As a result, civilians will be fearful of its authority and abide by the law.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



281、賞一人而天下知所從，罰一人而天下知所避。

明開塞之路，使百姓曉然知軌疏（疏疑跡）之所由，是以

賢者不憂，知者不懼，干祿者不邪。


【白話】獎賞一個人，天下人都知道以他為榜樣而跟

從；懲罰一個人，天下人都知道以他為教訓而躲避。

明確能做的和不能做的，使百姓知道應該走什麼樣的

道路，所以賢人就不擔心，有才智的人就不害怕，謀

求做官的人也不會走上邪路。

281. Reward a person and make him an example for others to follow; punish a person and make him an example for others not to emulate. Clarify what is allowed and what is prohibited so as to make sure that people know the directions they should take. In this way, the virtuous will have no worries, the intelligent will have no fear, and no aspiring officials will risk walking on the path of corruption.


395

282、賞足榮而罰可畏，智者知榮辱之必至。是故勸

善①之心生，而不軌之奸息。


【註釋】①勸善：勉力為善。

【白話】賞賜足以使民眾覺得榮耀，懲罰足以讓民眾

覺得畏懼。有才智的人知道榮耀和恥辱必會（伴隨著

自己善或惡的行為）到來，所以勉力為善的心就產生

了，圖謀不軌的念頭就停息了。

282. Rewards should be evidently sufficient to make people feel honored whereas punishments should be evidently effective to make people dread justice. Intelligent people know that honor comes from good deeds and punishment comes from bad deeds. Therefore, efforts to perform good deeds will increase whereas intentions to do bad deeds will cease.




283、善賞者，費少而勸多；善罰者，刑省而奸禁。


【白話】善於獎賞的人，花費很少而勸勉的人多；善

用懲罰的人，刑罰不多而能使奸邪得以禁止。

283. A person who is experienced in giving rewards needs only to spend a little to convince many people to perform good deeds. A person who is experienced in imposing punishment needs only few penalties to stop acts of evil from happening.

Scroll 35: Wen Zi

397

284、凡爵列①官職，賞慶②刑罰，皆以類相從③者

也。一物失稱④，亂之端也。德不稱位，能不稱官，

賞不當功，刑不當罪，不祥莫大焉。


【註釋】①爵列：爵位。②賞慶：獎賞。③以類相

從：按其類別各相歸屬。④失稱：不相當。

【白話】凡是爵位、官職、賞賜和刑罰，都要按功過

的等級來相應地施予。一件事做得不恰當，就是混亂

的開端。德行與爵位不相符，能力與官職不相符，賞

賜與功勞不相當，刑罰與罪過不相當，沒有比這樣更

不吉祥的了。

284. Award noble titles, official positions, rewards or

punishments according to one’s performance. One wrongly

given reward or punishment will mark the beginning

of chaos. When one’s virtue does not correspond to the

requirement of a noble title, or one’s ability does not match



the requirement of an official position, or if a reward does

not match the contribution made and a punishment does

not fit the crime, nothing can be more menacing than this situation.


399

285、若賞一無功，則天下飾詐矣；罰一無罪，則天

下懷疑矣。是以明德慎賞，而不肯輕之；明德慎罰，

而不肯忽之。


【白話】如果獎賞一個無功的人，天下人就會作偽欺

詐；處罰一個無罪的人，天下人就會懷有疑慮。所以

賢明者慎於獎賞，不肯輕易實施；賢明者慎於處罰，

而不隨意執行。

285. If praises and rewards were given to an unworthy person, the whole kingdom would deem this as an excuse for lying. If punishments were imposed upon an innocent person, this would create distrust on the government’s part. Thus a good official is most careful in giving out rewards, and he will be equally careful when imposing punishments. He will not carry out both matters indiscriminately.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



286、廢一善則眾善衰，賞一惡則眾惡多（多作歸）。善

者得其祐，惡者受其誅①，則國安而眾善到矣。


【註釋】①誅：懲罰；責罰。

【白話】廢除一樁善行，那麼眾多善行都會減退；獎

賞一樁惡行，那麼眾多惡行就會增長。善人得到福

佑，惡人受到誅罰，國家就會安定，各種善舉就會興

起。

286. Abolish one good conduct and the public will be discouraged from doing good deeds. Award one bad deed and criminal activities will increase considerably. If kind people receive blessings and wicked people receive fair punishments from the state, the country will enjoy peace and order, and the practice of doing kind deeds will flourish.

Scroll 40: San Lüe

401

287、賞不勸，謂之止善；罰不懲，謂之縱惡。


【白話】獎賞起不到勸勉民眾的作用，這叫做

「止善」；處罰起不到警戒惡行的效果，這就叫

「縱惡」。

287. If a reward system is unable to encourage people to do kind deeds, it is regarded as “hindering virtues.” If a penalty system is unable to deter people from doing unlawful acts, it is regarded as “inducing wickedness.”




288、善為國者，賞不僭①而刑不濫。賞僭，則懼及淫

人；刑濫，則及善人。若不幸而過，寧僭無濫。


【註釋】①僭：音jiàn／ㄐㄧㄢˋ。猶過分。

【白話】善於治理國家者，賞賜不過分，刑罰不濫

用。賞賜過分，就怕賞及惡人；刑罰濫用，就怕傷及

好人。如果不幸賞罰過當，那麼寧可賞賜過分，也不

可濫用刑罰。

288. A good ruler will not give out rewards excessively, and neither will he impose punishments indiscriminately. He makes sure that excessive rewards are not given to undeserving persons and unjust punishments are not imposed on innocent people. In the event that rewards and punishments are not impartially given, it would be better to offer more rewards than to abuse punishments.


403

289、賞不遺遠①，罰不阿②近，爵不可以無功取，刑

不可以勢貴免，此賢愚之所以僉③忘其身者也。

（卷二十七　蜀志）

【註釋】①遺遠：遺棄關係疏遠者。②阿：徇私，偏

袒。③僉：音qiān／ㄑㄧㄢ。都；皆。

【白話】獎賞時不遺漏關係疏遠的人，懲罰時不袒護

親近的人，沒有功勞的人不可以取得爵位，權勢顯貴

的人也不會免掉應受的刑罰，這就是不論賢愚都能忘

我為國效勞的原因。

289. Distantly related people will not be ignored in the provision of rewards, and close relatives will not be spared from the imposing of penalties. Those without contribut-ions cannot be granted the rank of nobility, and those who have violated the laws must be sentenced although they belong to the noble class. When such practices are carried out, all officials, whether they are virtuous or unaccomplished, would serve the country selflessly.

Scroll 27: Shu Zhi



十二、法律

Law and Statute

290、德教者，人君之常任也，而刑罰為之佐助焉。


【白話】道德教化，是人君治國的常道，而刑罰只是

德教的輔助。

290. Implementing moral education to achieve transformat-ion is the virtuous way of a wise ruler. Punishment is only used to uphold the values of moral education.


405

291、法令者治之具，而非制治①清濁之源也。

（卷十二　史記下）

【註釋】①制治：猶統治。

【白話】法令是治理天下的一種工具，而不是導致政

治清明或污濁的根源。

291. Law and order are merely instruments used in governing a country; they are not the root cause leading to a clean or corrupt government.

Scroll 12: Shi Ji, Vol. 2

Law and Statute


292、古者明其仁義之誓，使民不踰。不教而殺，是

虐民也。與其刑不可踰，不若義之不可踰也。聞禮義

行而刑罰中①，未聞刑罰任（任作行）而孝悌興也。高牆

狹基，不可立也；嚴刑峻法，不可久也。


【註釋】①中：音zhòng／ㄓㄨㄥˋ。得當。

【白話】古時候（賢明君王）宣明以仁義修身的誓

約，使百姓不逾越禮義。如果不先進行教育，等到百

姓犯罪就加以殺戮，這是殘害百姓。與其制定刑法使

百姓不敢觸犯，不如提倡禮義使百姓恥於違反。只聽

說推行禮義，刑罰就能運用得恰當；沒有聽說過施行

刑罰，孝悌之風就能興盛起來的。圍牆高大，地基狹

窄，是不能立得住的；用嚴厲的刑法治理國家，是不

能長久的。

407

292. The ancient sage-rulers pledged vows to keep themselves aligned with virtues so that the people would not neglect the importance of propriety. If the government did not educate the people but killed them when they violated the law, this would amount to committing atrocity against the people. Rather than imposing severe laws that aimed to deter people from disobedience, it would be better to promote propriety to convince people to be law-abiding. We have heard that promoting propriety could ensure fair punishment, but we have not heard that enforcing punishment could promote the practices of filial piety and fraternity. Walls that are mighty will not stand firm if the foundation is shallow. A government that uses heavy penalties to govern a country will not last long.


Law and Statute


293、君不法天地，而隨世俗之所善①以為法，故令出

必亂。亂則復更為法，是以法令數變，則群邪成俗，

而君沉於世，是以國不免危亡矣。


【註釋】①善：喜好。

【白話】如果君主不效法自然常道，而附和世俗的喜

好來制定法令，那麼這樣的法令一旦頒布，必定會引

起混亂。出現混亂後再更改法令，所以導致法令被屢

次修改，這就使得奸邪的風氣流行起來，而君主沉溺

於世俗之中，因此國家就免不了危亡了。

293. If a ruler does not rule according to the law of nature but enact laws to satisfy certain quarters, this will bring forth chaos. The unrests will force the government to change the laws repeatedly, and acts of wickedness will begin to happen frequently over time. If the ruler still indulges himself in worldly luxuriating, it is inevitable that his country will be destroyed in time to come.

Scroll 31: Liu Tao

409

294、善為治者，綱舉而網疏。綱舉則所羅者廣，網

疏則小罪必漏。所羅者廣，則大罪不縱，則甚泰①必

刑。微過必漏，則為政不苛；甚泰必刑，然後犯治②

必塞。此為治之要也。


【註釋】①甚泰：過分。泰，同「太」。②犯治：犯

法於治世。

【白話】善於治理國家的人，會抓住總綱而讓法網稀

疏。能夠抓住總綱，那麼它的涉及面就很廣；法網稀

疏，則小過失就得以忽略。涉及面廣，則大罪不會縱

容，大過必會懲罰。小過失得到忽略，那麼為政就不

會苛刻；大罪一定懲處，則在治世違法亂紀的行為就

會被遏制。這就是治理國家的關鍵。

294. A wise ruler will only enforce the basic principles of the law, but at the same time make allowances (grant leniency) for minor violations. This means that as the net of justice is cast far and wide to enable extensive area coverage, minor violations are thus ignored. When this

Law and Statute


net of justice covers an extensive area, serious offenses and crimes will be caught and heavily penalized. Thus, the administration will not be deemed tyrannical as minor offenses or violations are accommodated. When serious crimes are punishable by laws, incidents of law-breaking and social disorder will be kept under control. This is the key to running a good government.


411

295、一令逆者，則百令失；君令一逆，民不從，故百令皆廢也。

一惡施者，則百惡結。一惡得施，則百惡結而相從也。


【白話】一項政令違逆人心，所有的政令就都會失去

作用；一件壞事施行了，上百件壞事就會接連發生。

295. When one law betrays the trust of the people, all other laws will lose their effectiveness. With one bad action put into practice, hundreds of immoral practices will come into being.

Scroll 40: San Lüe

Law and Statute


296、道徑眾，民不知所由也；法令眾，人不知所避

也。故王者之制法也，昭乎如日月，故民不迷；曠乎

若大路，故民不惑。幽隱遠方，折乎知之；愚婦童①

婦，咸知所避。是故法令不犯，而獄犴②不用也。


【註釋】①童：愚昧；淺陋。②獄犴：牢獄。犴，音

àn／ㄢˋ。古指鄉亭牢獄。

【白話】道路多了，人們就不知道該走哪一條；法令

多了，百姓就不知道怎樣避免觸犯法禁。因此，聖明

的君主制定法律，如同日月一樣昭明，所以百姓不會

迷惘；如同大路一樣寬廣，所以百姓不會疑惑。連偏

僻遙遠之地的人，也能清楚了解法令；愚昧無知的婦

女，也都知道怎樣避免犯法。因此法律和政令沒人違

犯，監獄也不需要使用。

413

296. With too many diverging routes ahead, it is hard to know which way to go. With too many codes of laws being regulated, it is difficult to avoid violations. The laws enacted by the sage-rulers were like the sun and the moon lighting up the darkened path so that people would not lose their way, or like a wide and open road that would not lead the people astray. Hence, people living in the remote corners were clear about the laws, and even benighted women knew how to avoid breaking the laws. No one would violate the law, and prisons would not be needed anymore.


Law and Statute


十三、征伐

Military Ethics

297、夫文，止戈為武。文，字也。武王克商，作《頌》

曰：「載①戢②干戈，載櫜③弓矢。」戢，藏也。櫜，韜也。詩

美武王能滅暴亂而息兵也。夫武禁暴，戢兵，保大，定功，安

民，和眾，豐財者也，此武七德也。故使子孫無忘其章④。著之篇章，使子孫不忘也。


【註釋】①載：語氣助詞。用在句首或句中，起加

強語氣的作用。②戢：音 j í／ㄐㄧˊ。收藏兵器。

③櫜：音gāo／ㄍㄠ。納弓於弓袋。④章：詩歌或樂

曲的段落。

【白話】從文字構造看，止戈二字合起來就是「武」

字。周武王戰勝商紂以後，周人《周頌》說：「把干

戈收藏起來，把弓矢裝進袋子裡。」所謂武，是用來

禁止暴亂、止息戰爭、保持太平、建立功業、安定百

姓、和睦萬邦、豐富資財的，所以要使子孫後代不要

忘記這些內容。

415

297. From the point of morphology, the Chinese character for “military” is Wu 武, formed by using two words: “Stop”—Zhi 止, and “Dagger-axe”—Ge 戈. It was said that after King Wu defeated King Jie of the Shang dynasty, the Zhou people wrote the Hymn of Zhou which said: “Store the dagger-axe and put the arrows back in their quivers.” Therefore, military was used mainly to stop riots, end wars, maintain peace, establish meritorious achievements, bring peace to the people, maintain harmonious ties with other nations and to enrich resources. The hymn was recorded as a reminder for future generations to take note of this lesson.


Military Ethics


298、是故百戰百勝，非善之善者也；不戰而屈人之

兵，善之善者也。未戰而敵自屈服也。

（卷三十三　孫子兵法）

【白話】因此，百戰百勝，稱不上是最高明的；不交

戰而使敵兵降服，才是高明中最高明的。

298. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting24.

Scroll 33: Sun Zi Bing Fa

24 Lionel Giles, “Attack by Stratagem,” Chinese Text Project, http://ctext.org/art-of-war/attack-by-stratagem.

417

299、仁人之兵，所存者神，所過者化①。若時雨②之

降，莫不悅喜。故近者親其善，遠者慕其德，兵不血

刃③，遠邇④來服。德盛於此，施及四極⑤。


【註釋】①化：從化；歸化；歸順。②時雨：應時的

雨水。③兵不血刃：兵器上沒有沾血，謂戰事順利，

未經交鋒或激戰而取得勝利。④遠邇：猶遠近。⑤四

極：四方極遠之地。

【白話】仁人之兵，所駐紮的地方，能得到安定和

平；所行經的地方，人們無不從化。就像應時的雨水

降臨，無不歡欣喜悅。所以近者敬愛他們的美善，遠

方仰慕他們的道德，不必交戰就能勝利，遠近都來歸

服。道德昌盛如此，就會恩澤廣施至四方極遠之地。

299. Wherever a benign army was stationed there would be stability and peace. Wherever it passed by people would be transformed. Like a rainfall that arrived at the right time and place, none would be displeased. Immediate neighbors admired their kindness and people from afar praised their

Military Ethics


virtues. They won the battle even without starting a war and gained the allegiance of those from far and near. When the attainment of virtues could be cultivated to such a high level, blessings would spread far and wide to the four corners of the kingdom.


419

300、聖王之用兵也，非好樂之，將以誅暴討亂。

夫以義而誅不義，若決江河而溉熒火，臨不測而擠欲

墜，其克之必也。


【白話】聖明的君主用兵，不是自己喜好用兵，而是

用以誅滅凶暴、討伐叛亂。以正義來討伐不義，就像

決開江河去澆滅如螢蟲之火，就像在深淵的邊緣去推

擠將要墜落之物，其勝利是必然的。

300. A sage-ruler would resort to military armaments not because he liked declaring wars, but to stop horrendous violence and rebellions. Crusading against evil by waging a righteous war is like breaking a dam and pouring water to extinguish a tiny speck of fire, or like pushing an object that is about to fall from the edge of a cliff. Victory is inevitable.

Scroll 40: San Lüe

Military Ethics


301、國雖大，好戰必亡；天下雖平，忘戰必危。


【白話】國家雖大，好戰必亡；天下即使太平，忘戰

必然危殆。

301. However huge a country may be, if it goes on warmongering, it would eventually be destroyed; while peaceful as it may seem, a country that neglects readiness for war will face impending danger.


421

302、「軍旅之後，必有凶年」，言民以其愁苦之

氣，傷陰陽之和也。出兵雖勝，猶有後憂，恐災害之

變，因此以生。


【白話】「大的軍事行動之後，必定會有災荒之年」，

說的就是戰爭給百姓帶來的愁苦之氣，會傷害天地陰

陽的和諧。出兵即使取勝，仍然會有戰後的憂患，恐

怕災害異變，會因此而發生。

302. The saying that “After a war, bad times will follow” means that war will bring sorrow to the people and upset the harmonious balance between heaven and earth as well as the Yin and Yang energies. Although a war has been won, the country will still experience hardship, and disasters and abnormal phenomena would follow.


Military Ethics

423

一、微漸

Taking Precautions

303、古者衣服車馬，貴賤有章，以褒有德而別尊

卑。今上下僭差①，人人自制，是故貪財趍②利，

不畏死亡。周之所以能致治③，刑措④而不用者，以

其禁邪於冥冥，絕惡於未萌也。


【註釋】①僭差：僭越失度。僭，音jiàn／ㄐㄧㄢˋ。

超越本分，冒用在上者的職權、名義行事。②趍：

音qū／ㄑㄩ。同「趨」。追求；追逐。③致治：使

國家在政治上安定清平。④刑措：亦作「刑錯」或

「刑厝」，置刑法而不用。措，擱置。

【白話】古代衣服車馬貴賤有規章，用來褒揚有德之

人而使尊卑有所區別。而今上下之間有超越本分的錯

失，人人自行制訂而無節度，於是人們貪財謀利，

不惜冒生命危險。周朝之所以能達到天下大治，刑罰

擱置不用，其原因就是在歪風未顯露時就將其制止，

在罪惡未萌生時就將其杜絕。

Taking Precautions


303. Ancient attires and modes of transport were governed by specific regulations to commend virtuous men and to differentiate social status. However, in recent times, everyone is trying to surpass each other in setting up their own rules to pursue monetary or personal gains, even if it means putting their lives at risks. The fact that the Zhou dynasty could enjoy peace and order even though corporal punishments were set aside was because they took preventative measures to stop unhealthy customs from thriving and curbed crimes before they were about to happen.


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304、且夫閉情①無欲者上也，咈心②消除者次之。

昔帝舜藏黃金於嶄巖③之山，抵珠玉於深川之底。及

儀狄④獻旨酒⑤，而禹甘之，於是疏遠儀狄，純（純當作

絕）上旨酒。此能閉情於無欲者也。


【註釋】①閉情：閉絕欲望。②咈心：違背心意。

咈，音fú／ㄈㄨˊ。違背；違逆。③嶄巖：高峻的

山崖。元和本作「漸巖」。嶄、漸此處讀音均為

chán／ㄔㄢˊ。漸，通「巉」，或作「嶄」。④儀

狄：傳說為夏禹時善釀酒者。⑤旨酒：美酒。

【白話】人能夠做到閉情無欲可以算是上等人了，刻

意違背心意消除欲求的人就要差一等了。過去舜帝

讓黃金埋藏在險峻的高山之上，將珠玉棄置在深川的

谷底。儀狄進獻美酒給大禹，大禹品嘗後覺得非常甘

甜，於是疏遠儀狄，杜絕人們進獻美酒。這就是能夠

自我節制而達到無欲的例子。

Taking Precautions


304. One who is able to abstain from desires can be considered supreme, while one who forces himself to suppress his desires is less so. In the past, Emperor Shun buried gold in the dangerously steep mountains and discarded jewelries at the bottom of a deep gorge. When an expert winemaker presented fine wine to King Yu, the king, upon savoring its sweet taste, distanced himself from the winemaker and decreed the prohibition of wine. These are noble examples of self-control that led to the abstinence from desires.


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305、抱朴子曰：「三辰①蔽於天，則清景②闇於地；

根茇③蹶④於此，則柯條⑤瘁於彼。道失於近，則禍及

於遠；政繆於上，而民困於下。」


【註釋】①三辰：指日、月、星。②清景：猶清

光。③茇：音bá／ㄅㄚˊ。草木的根。④蹶：音

jué／ㄐㄩㄝˊ。竭盡。⑤柯條：枝條。

【白話】抱朴子說：「日、月、星被天上雲霧遮住

了，地上的光明就會暗淡；植物的根部這裡竭盡，枝

條那裡就會乾枯。正道廢失於近，則禍患及於深遠；

政治乖錯於上，則百姓窮困於下。」

305. Bao Pu Zi said: “When the sun, the moon and the stars were covered by clouds and mists, the light on earth would grow dim. When the roots of plants decayed, branches and twigs would wither. The principles of righteousness might have been compromised in a local area, but the impact that they caused would be deep and far-reaching. When the rulership of the government became inefficient, the populace would suffer from impoverishment.”


Taking Precautions


二、風俗

Social Customs

306、俗之傷破人倫①，劇於寇賊之來，不能經（舊無經

字，補之）久，其所損壞一時而已。


【註釋】①人倫：本於人的天性、符合倫理道德的正

常的人際關係，大致為君臣、父子、夫婦、兄弟、朋

友五種，故稱「五倫」。

【白話】世俗習慣對人倫的破壞，比外敵、強盜的入

侵還要厲害，外敵的入侵不能持久，他們的損害只是

一時而已。

306. Bad social customs can bring a far greater destruction to the five moral relationships25 than the invasion of foreign enemies and bandits, as foreign invasions do not last long and their damages are but temporary.


25 The correct approach to dealing with realationships between parents and children, brothers and sisters, husband and wife, superiors and subordinates, and among friends, is known collectively as the “five moral relationships”.

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307、親親①以睦，友賢不棄，不遺故舊，則民德歸厚

矣。


【註釋】①親親：愛自己的親人。

【白話】君主關愛親人來保持和睦，友愛賢者而不離

棄，不忘故舊，那麼百姓的品德就會回歸於淳厚了。

307. If a ruler loves and cares for his relatives to preserve harmony, extends his fraternal affection to virtuous men without deserting them, and never forgets his old friends, then the virtue of the people will return to its simple kindness.

Scroll 3: Mao Shi

Social Customs


308、使天下皆背道而趨利，則人主之所最病①者。


【註釋】①病：憂慮。

【白話】假使天下的人都違背道義去追逐利益，那便

是君主所最為擔憂的事了。

308. If everybody in the country contravened codes of morality and righteousness to pursue personal benefits, this should unquestionably be the greatest concern for a ruler.


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309、若夫商①、韓②、孫③、吳④，知人性之貪得樂

進，而不知兼濟其善，於是束之以法，要之以功，

使下（使下作使天下）唯力是恃，唯爭是務。恃力務爭，至

有探湯赴火而忘其身者，好利之心獨用⑤也。人懷好

利之心，則善端⑥沒矣。


【註釋】①商：商鞅。姓公孫，名鞅，戰國時衛人。

少好刑名法術之學，後入秦為相，受封於商。用法嚴

苛，樹敵眾多，後被車裂而死。或稱為「衛鞅」。

②韓：韓非。戰國時韓國的諸公子之一，法家思想

的集大成者。後為李斯所譖，下獄而死。③孫：孫

武。齊人，春秋時兵法家。所著《孫子兵法》被譽為

「兵學聖典」。④吳：吳起。戰國時衛人。政治家、

軍事家。因招怨貴戚大臣，後被射死。著有《吳子》。

⑤獨用：單獨行世，單獨使用。⑥善端：善言善行的

端始。

【白話】至於商鞅、韓非、孫子、吳起，知道人有貪

求財物、樂於提高地位的一面，而不知同時助長其善

的一面，因此，用刑法約束，用功名鼓勵，使天下人

Social Customs


只依靠強力，只致力於爭奪。依仗強力、務求爭奪，

以至於有人赴湯蹈火而忘記死活，都是爭利之心所驅

使的。人人都抱著求利之心，人善良的一面就喪失

了。

309. While great men like Shang Yang26, Han Fei27, Sunzi28 and Wu Qi29 knew very well that humans are inclined to acquire material wealth out of greed and are also keen to pursue social status, these great men were not aware that people need to be educated to enhance their morality.

26 Shang Yang 商鞅, 4th century BC, a legalist philosopher, premier of the State of Qin 秦國. With the support of Duke Xiao of Qin 秦孝公, he enacted numerous reforms in Qin in accordance with his legalist philosophy and assisted Qin in its change from a peripheral state to that of a militarily powerful and strongly centralized kingdom. He changed the administration of the state through an emphasis on meritocracy and devolving power from the nobility.

27 Han Fei 韓非belonged to the school of Ancient Chinese Philosophy called Legal-ism. His philosophy became one of the guiding principles of King Zheng of Qin, who became Qin Shi Huang 秦始皇, the first emperor of China. Despite its outcast sta-tus throughout the history of Imperial China, Han Fei’s political theory continued to heavily influence every dynasty afterwards.

28 Sun Wu 孫武, author of Sun Zi: The Art of War, a book considered to be the “bible of military expertise.”

29 Wu Qi吳起, 5th–4th century BC, was a statesman, a legalist philosopher and a military strategist whose name is often mentioned alongside Sunzi 孫子. He was appointed Prime Minister by King Dao of Chu 楚悼王. His reforms made Chu a strong state at that time.

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Hence, they used punishment to control the people, conferred honors to motivate them, and encouraged them to rely on sheer power to rival one another. The sole reliance on power to dominate would reach a point when people would defy all odds just for the sake of personal benefits. If everyone adopts this kind of selfish mentality, the innate kindness of mankind would be lost.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi

Social Customs


三、治亂

Conquering Chaos

310、君之所審者三：一曰德不當①其位，二曰功不當

其祿，三曰能不當其官。此三本者，治亂之原②也。


【註釋】①當：音d ā n g／ㄉㄤ。對等，相當。

②原：本原，根本。今字作「源」。

【白話】君主所應注意的問題有三個：一是臣子的德

行與他的爵位不相稱，二是臣子的功勞與他的俸祿不

相稱，三是臣子的能力與他的官職不相稱。這三個根

本問題是國家安定與動亂的根源。

310. A leader should observe the following three fundamental factors that can affect the stability of a country:

1. Whether a minister’s moral conduct and his noble rank are compatible;

2. Whether a minister’s contributions and the stipends he receives are compatible;

3. Whether a minister’s ability and his post are compatible.

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These three fundamental factors constitute the root cause of a country’s stability or disorder.

Scroll 32: Guan Zi

Conquering Chaos


311、夫世之治亂、國之安危，非由他也。俊乂①在

官，則治道清；奸佞干政，則禍亂作。故王者任人，

不可不慎也。

（卷四十八　典語）

【註釋】①乂：音yì／ㄧˋ。賢才。

【白話】天下的治亂、國家的安危，不是由於其他什

麼原因。賢能之人做官，國家就會治理得安定太平；

奸詐諂媚之人參與政事，災禍、動亂就會發生。所以

君王用人，不能不慎重。

311. There is certainly a reason why there is law and order or chaos in a country. When virtuous and able men are appointed to office, the country will be well governed, peaceful and stable. When treacherous and slanderous men are involved in government administration, disasters and upheavals will arise. Therefore, a ruler has to be extremely cautious when appointing government officials.

Scroll 48: Dian Yu

437

312、亂之初生，僭①始既涵②。僭，不信也。涵，同也。王之初生

亂萌，群臣之言，信與不信，盡同之不別。亂之又生，君子信讒。君子

斥在位者，信讒人言，是復亂之所生。君子信盜③，亂是用④暴。盜，謂

小人。盜言孔⑤甘。亂是用餤⑥。餤，進也。


【註釋】①僭：音 j iàn／ㄐㄧㄢˋ。虛偽，不可

信。②涵：同。③盜：指讒佞的小人。④是用：因

此。用，表示憑藉或者原因。⑤孔：甚，很。⑥

餤：音tán／ㄊㄢˊ。進食，引申為增進或加劇。

【白話】追溯動亂的源頭，是君王面對偽言，分不

清善惡真假。動亂再次出現，那是君王聽信讒言，

良臣卻無辜受壓。君王信任小人，才會亂象叢生。

小人的甜言蜜語盛行於世，動亂終將逐步升級，直

至無法收拾。

Conquering Chaos


312. The original cause of chaos can be attributed to the king’s inability to differentiate good from evil and truth from falsehood. The recurrence of chaos can be attributed to the king’s fault in believing slanderous advice, resulting in innocent ministers being suppressed. The proliferation of disorder can be attributed to the king’s unwise reliance on unscrupulous people. Their clever talks could mislead the whole country, resulting in the escalation of turmoil going beyond control.

Scroll 3: Mao Shi

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313、政險失民，田薉①稼惡，糴②貴民饑，道路有死

人，夫是之謂人妖③也。政令不明，舉措不時，本事

不理，夫是之謂人妖也。禮義不修，外內無別，男女

淫亂，父子相疑，上下乖離，寇難日至，夫是之謂人

妖也。三者錯，無安國矣。其說甚邇，其災甚慘。


【註釋】①薉：音huì／ㄏㄨㄟˋ，荒蕪。②糴：音

dí／ㄉㄧˊ，買進穀物。③人妖：人事方面的反常現

象；人為的災禍。

【白話】政治險惡失去民心，田地荒蕪收成不好，糧

價昂貴百姓飢餓，路上有凍餓至死的人，這叫做人為

的災禍。政令不清明，各種舉措不符合時機，對農業

生產放任不管，這叫做人為的災禍。不進行倫理道德

的教化和學習，內外沒有區別，男女淫亂，父子間沒

有信任，君臣彼此背離，內憂外患一起到來，這叫做

人為的災禍。這三種情況交錯發生，國家就無法安寧

了。這些道理很淺近，但這些災難卻很慘重啊。

Conquering Chaos


313. When a government is treacherous and the populace loses faith in them; when the fields are not well cultivated and harvest does not meet demands; when there is a hike in the prices of grains and people starve and freeze to death by the roadside—such are man-made disasters. When the code of laws of the government is not transparent and various implementations are ill-timed and agricultural production is left unmanaged—such are man-made disasters. When moral education is not widely promoted, promiscuity between men and women becomes rampant; parents and children do not trust each other; leaders and subordinates betray each other; and so internal turmoil and foreign invasion happen concurrently—such are man-made disasters. With frequent occurrences of the above three situations, the country will no longer be peaceful and stable. The above principles may appear very simple but the disasters are catastrophic indeed!


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四、鑒戒

Heedful of Troubling Signs

314、目也者，遠察天際，而不能近見其眥①。心亦

如之。君子誠知心之似目也，是以務鑒於人以觀得

失。


【註釋】①眥：音zì／ㄗˋ。眼角，上下眼瞼的接合

處。

【白話】人的眼睛，遠望可以看到天的盡頭，而近

看卻看不到自己的眼角。人心也是這樣。君子深知

人心也像眼睛一樣，因此，努力以人為鑒，來了解

自己的過失。

314. The human eye can see far across the horizon, yet it is unable to see something as close as its corner. So is the human mind. A man of noble character (Junzi) knows that his mind is no different from his eyes and is thus ever ready to learn from others in order to understand his own shortcomings.




315、古之人目短於自見，故以鏡觀面；智短於自

知，故以道正己。目失①鏡，則無以正鬚眉；身失

道，則無以知迷惑。

（卷四十　韓子）

【註釋】①失：違背；離開。

【白話】古時候的人，因為眼睛不足以看見自己，所

以用鏡子來觀察面容；因為智慧不足以認識自己，所

以用道德仁義來端正自己的思想言行。眼睛失去鏡

子，就沒有辦法端正容顏；身行離開道德仁義，就無

法覺察自己的迷惑。

315. As the ancients could not observe their entire physiques, they used mirrors to reflect on their appear-ances. They also realized that they were not wise enough to understand themselves so they abided by virtues, benevolence, and honor in order to regulate their minds, speech and actions. Without mirrors we will not be able to see our faces clearly, let alone clean and tidy them; without abiding by virtues, benevolence and honor, we will not be able to detect the state of misconception in us.

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443

316、子曰：「由，汝聞六言六蔽①乎？」對曰：

「未。」「居②，吾語汝。好仁不好學，其蔽也愚；仁者愛物，不知所以裁之，則愚也。好智不好學，其蔽也蕩③；蕩，無

所適守。好信不好學，其蔽也賊④；父子不知相為隱之輩。好直不

好學，其蔽也絞⑤；好勇不好學，其蔽也亂；好剛不

好學，其蔽也狂⑥。」狂，妄抵觸人也。


【註釋】①蔽：壅蔽、覆障、弊端的意思。②居：

坐。古人鋪席於地，兩膝著席，臀部壓在腳後跟上，

謂之「坐」。③蕩：放蕩無操守。④賊：傷害。⑤

絞：急切。⑥狂：狂妄牴觸他人。

【白話】孔子說：「由，你聽說過六種事有六種壅蔽

的道理嗎？」子路直起身回答說：「沒有。」孔子

說：「坐吧，我告訴你。好仁而不好學，其弊病是不

分善惡，如同愚人；好智而不好學，其弊病是放蕩不

羈而無操守；好信而不好學，其弊病是死守信諾而傷

害道義情理；好直而不好學，其弊病是急躁而好揭

短；好勇而不好學，其弊病是錯亂種種規矩；好剛而

不好學，其弊病是狂妄而容易冒犯他人。」



316. Confucius asked his student Zilu: “Have you ever heard of the six sayings and their six ill effects?”

Zilu answered: “No, I have not.”

“Come, sit down, and let me explain to you,” Confucius said. “The ill effect of longing to be benevolent without the desire to study will create a foolish person who cannot discern right from wrong. The ill effect of longing to be wise without the desire to study will make an outrageous person who cannot be disciplined. The ill effect of longing to be trustworthy without the desire to study will create a stubborn person who would blindly keep his words without regards to morality and rationality. The ill effect of longing to have forthright character without the desire to study will create a quick-tempered person who likes to criticize the shortcomings of others. The ill effect of longing to be bold without the desire to study will create an unaccommodating person. The ill effect of longing to be tough without the desire to study will create an arrogant person with rude conduct.”

Scroll 9: Lun Yu

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317、孔子曰：「士有五：有埶①尊貴者，有家富厚

者，有資勇悍者，有心智慧者，有貌美好者。埶尊

貴，不以愛民行義理②，而反以暴傲；家富厚，不以

振窮③救不足，而反以侈靡無度；資勇悍，不以衛上

攻戰④，而反以侵淩私鬥；心智慧，不以端計數⑤，

而反以事奸飾詐⑥；貌美好，不以統朝蒞民⑦，而反

以蠱⑧女從欲⑨。此五者，所謂士失其美質⑩也。」


【註釋】①埶：「勢」的古字。指權勢。②義理：合

於倫理道德的行事準則。③振窮：救助困窮的人。

④攻戰：猶作戰、戰鬥。⑤計數：謀略。⑥飾詐：

謂作假騙人。⑦蒞民：管理百姓。⑧蠱：誘惑，

迷亂。⑨從欲：縱欲。從，「縱」的古字。⑩美質：

美好的本質。

【白話】孔子說：「士人有五類：有的權勢尊貴，

有的家境富裕，有的本性勇敢，有的天資聰明，有的

容貌美好。權勢尊貴的人，不利用他的權位去愛護

百姓、依照倫理道德行事，反而利用權勢暴戾傲慢、

欺壓百姓；家境富裕的人，不利用他的財富去救濟貧

Heedful of Troubling SignsHeedful of Troubling Signs


窮困乏的人，反而利用財富來過奢侈糜爛、沒有節制

的生活；本性勇敢的人，不利用他的勇敢保衛國君、

和入侵者戰鬥，反而憑藉勇力來欺侮別人，進行私人

間的爭鬥；天資聰明的人，不利用他的明察來策劃政

治的措施，反而憑藉智謀來從事奸邪的事，作假騙

人；容貌美好的人，不利用他的威儀統率朝廷官吏、

治理人民，反而用它來誘惑女子，放縱情欲。這五種

人，可說是士人中喪失了其美好稟賦的人。」

317. Confucius said: “There are five types of scholars.

1. Some are noble and powerful;

2. Some come from rich families;

3. Some are endowed with bravery;

4. Some are born intelligent;

5. Some are born with attractive faces.

– If the noble and powerful do not use their power to protect the people and administer affairs in accordance to moral virtues, but instead use their power to despotic ends;

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– If the rich do not use their wealth to help the needy and the destitute, but instead lead luxuriating and indecent lifestyles;

– If the brave do not offer their service to protect the rulers and defend against invaders, but instead use their power to bully others and wage personal vendetta;

– If intelligent people do not use their insights to draw up government policies, but instead use their intelligence to commit unscrupulous acts and deceptions;

– If attractive people do not use their distinguished countenance to take the lead in governing the country, but instead use their good looks to seduce women and indulge in sexual misconducts;

– People with the aforementioned characters can be deemed to have absolutely lost their natural endowments.”




318、動則三思，慮而後行，重慎出入，以往鑒來。

言之若輕，成敗甚重。


【白話】一舉一動都要反覆思考後再行動，出入都要

慎重（不放縱個人喜好），用過去的歷史教訓作為將

來的借鑒。這些話說起來好像很輕鬆，但對於事業成

敗影響卻很重大。

318. One needs to think carefully before moving into action. Whether to advance or to retreat, one should remain very cautious. Use lessons learned from the past as a guide for the future. These words may seem unimportant but they will play a big role in deciding success or failure.


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319、覽往事之成敗，察將來之吉凶，未有干名①要②

利，欲而不厭③，而能保世④持家⑤，永全福祿者也。


【註釋】①干名：求取名位。干，求。②要：音

yāo／ㄧㄠ，求取。③厭：通「饜」，滿足。④保

世：謂保持爵祿、宗族或王朝的世代相傳。⑤持家：

保持家業。

【白話】觀察往事的成敗，考察將來的吉凶，還沒有

追名逐利，貪婪而不知滿足，卻能保持家道世代相傳

並長久享有福祿的人。

319. Learn from the cases of success and failure from the past, and examine the good and ill aspects of the future. No one would succeed in keeping their family legacies and enjoying lasting prosperity if they are only after fame and wealth just to satisfy their endless greed.

Scroll 26: Wei Zhi, Vol.2



320、周公曰：「吾聞之於政也，知善不行者則謂之

狂，知惡不改者則謂之惑。夫狂與惑者，聖王之戒

也。」


【白話】周公說：「我聽說關於為政方面的事，知道

是好事而不施行的叫做狂，知道是惡行而不改正的叫

做惑。狂與惑是聖王所戒除的。」

320. The Duke of Zhou said: “I have heard this about governing: Knowing something is good but not putting it into action is referred to as ‘arrogance.’ Knowing something is bad but not correcting it is referred to as ‘in a state of doubts.’ Arrogance and doubts are detrimental characters that a sage-ruler should always avoid adopting.”

Scroll 31: Yu Zi

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321、昔桀紂滅由妖婦，幽厲亂在嬖妾①。先帝覽②

之，以為身戒，故左右不置婬邪之色，後房無曠積之

女。


【註釋】①嬖妾：愛妾。②覽：《三國志》通行本作

「鑒」。

【白話】從前夏桀、商紂的滅亡是由於迷戀妖艷的婦

人，周幽王、周厲王時發生動亂，是因為寵幸愛妾。

先帝吸取這些教訓，以此作為自身的借鑒，所以身邊

不安置淫邪的美色，後宮沒有積聚多餘的女子。

321. In the past, King Jie of the Xia dynasty and King Zhou of the Shang dynasty were both dethroned because they were obsessed with seductive women. King You and King Li of the Zhou dynasty plunged their kingdom into chaos when they spoiled themselves in the comfort of their favored consorts. With these lessons in mind, our ancient kings were cautious not to allow sensual figures to stay near them, nor have unnecessary ladies serving in the imperial chamber.




322、天下有三危：少德而多寵，一危也；材下而位

高，二危也；身無大功而有厚祿，三危也。


【白話】天下有三種危險情況：缺少德行卻倍受尊

寵，是第一種危險；才能低下卻地位高貴，是第二種

危險；自身沒有大功卻享有優厚俸祿，是第三種危

險。

322. There are three risky situations in this world:

1. Less than virtuous people are well-respected and favored;

2. Incompetent people are occupying high positions;

3. Unaccomplished people are enjoying handsome payoffs.

Such are the three risky situations.


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323、夫與死人同病者，不可生也；與亡國同行者，

不可存也。豈虛言哉？何以知人且病？以其不嗜食

也。何以知國之將亂？以其不嗜賢也。


【白話】與死人患同一種病的人，不能活下來；與亡

國之君行為相同的君主，其國家也不能長存。這難道

是空話嗎？怎麼知道人將要生病呢？通過他不愛吃飯

就可知曉。怎麼知道國家將會動亂呢？通過君主不愛

賢才就能看出。

323. A person will not survive if he suffers the same illness as that of a dead man. A country will not survive if its ruler behaves the same as all other deposed rulers. Do you think this does not make sense at all? How do we know that a person is ill? We know that when he has no appetite. How do we know that a country will end up in shambles? We know that when a ruler does not show respect toward the virtuous and able ministers.




324、國得百姓之力①者富，得百姓之死②者強，得百

姓之譽者榮。三得（三得舊皆作三德，改之）者具，而天下歸

之；三得者亡，而天下去之。


【註釋】①力：勤，盡力。②死：謂為某事或某人而

犧牲性命。

【白話】國家若能得到百姓的效力就會富足，若能得

到百姓拼命效死就會強盛，若能得到百姓的稱譽就會

榮耀。三者具備，那麼天下的人民都將歸順；三者無

一，那麼天下的人民就會背離。

324. If a country has the full support of its people it will enjoy prosperity. If people are prepared to die defending the country’s interest it will become strong; if a country is widely acclaimed by the people it is worthy of honor. If these three conditions are met, a country will earn the allegiance of all the people. Without these three conditions, the whole populace will turn its back on the country.


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325、為雕文刻鏤，技巧華飾，以傷農事，王者必禁

之。


【白話】在器物上刻鏤花紋圖案、追求精巧的技能和

華麗的裝飾，而妨害農業，聖明的君主一定會嚴加禁

止。

325. Carving glyptic motifs on the utensils and pursuing exquisite crafts and lavish costumes at the expense of agricultural development is something that a wise ruler would strictly forbid.

Scroll 31: Liu Tao

Heedful of Troubling SignsHeedful of Troubling Signs


五、應事

Making Correct Response

326、凡人之道，心欲小，志欲大，智欲圓，行欲

方，能欲多，事欲少。


【白話】大凡一個人的處世之道，內心要謹慎，志向

要宏大，智慮要周到通達，行為要方正不苟，能力要

多，事務要少。

326. In all your ways be discreet but hold on to a great ambition; be thoughtful and thorough, upright and conscientious, resourceful, and focus on only a few things at a time.

Scroll 35: Wen Zi

457

327、溺者不問隧①，迷者不問路。譬之猶臨難而遽②

鑄兵，噎而遽掘井，雖速亦無及。


【註釋】①隧：路，指涉水之路。②遽：音jù／ㄐㄩˋ。

倉猝，匆忙。

【白話】被水淹的人事先沒有探明涉水的路線，迷途

的人事先沒有問路。這就好比面臨外敵入侵的危難

時，才急急忙忙鑄造兵器，吃飯噎著以後才急急忙忙

去挖井，即使很快，也來不及了。

327. People have drowned because they did not bother to find out a shallower path to wade across the water, and people who lost their way did not bother to find out the directions. This is like casting military weapons out only when the enemies are approaching, or digging a well when we need water to flush down something that is choking us. Even though efforts could commence immediately, it would nevertheless be too late to rectify the impending situation.

Scroll 33: Yan Zi



328、故舉重越高者，不慢於藥；愛赤子者，不慢於

保；絕險①歷遠者，不慢於御。此得助則成，釋助則

廢矣。

（卷三十七　慎子）

【註釋】①絕險：越過險阻。

【白話】托負重物跨越高處的人，一定不敢忽視藥

物；疼愛嬰兒的人，一定不敢怠慢保姆；越過險阻遊

歷遠方的人，一定不敢怠慢駕御車馬的人。這是因為

得到幫助才能成功，失去幫助就會失敗。

328. Those who journey across high terrains would not forget to bring along medical supplies. Those who love their newborn babies dare not neglect their nannies. Those who need to travel far through rugged terrains dare not neglect their drivers. Getting help from others enables us to achieve success. Without them, we would not succeed.

Scroll 37: Shen Zi

459

329、聖人居高處上，則以仁義為巢①；乘危履傾，

則以聖賢為杖。故高而不墜，危而不仆②。

（卷四十　新語）

【註釋】①巢：居所。②仆：向前跌倒。

【白話】聖人身處高位，就以道德仁義作為自己安身

的居所；面臨險境危難，就把聖賢之人作為自己依靠

的拄杖。所以聖人身居高位不會墜落，身臨險境也不

會跌倒。

329. Virtuous people holding high positions in the government regarded benevolence as the pillars of their conduct. In times of difficulty and crisis they would emulate the meritorious conduct of the sages. This is why virtuous people who hold high positions would not fall from grace, nor would they fall from power in times of crisis.

Scroll 40: Xin Yu



330、夫聖人之屈者以求申也，枉者以求直也。故雖

出邪僻之道，行幽昧之塗，將欲以興大道成大功，

猶出林之中，不得直道，拯溺之人，不得不濡①足。


【註釋】①濡：音rú／ㄖㄨˊ。浸漬，沾濕。

【白話】聖人委屈自己，是為了日後道義的伸展；暫

時的彎曲，是追求日後的挺直。所以他雖然從邪僻不

直的道路上出發，而走在昏暗不明的路上，是要由此

振興大道、成就大業，就好比要走出叢林就不可能只

走筆直的道路，要拯救溺水的人就不能不沾濕雙腳一

樣。

330. A sage will endure humiliation for the sake of spreading justice in the future, and a temporary detour has to be taken so that another straightened road could be reached later. He may have taken a crooked path or a darkened route, but it is all for the sake of reviving the Great Way, so that bigger accomplishments can be achieved

461

in the future. No one can walk out of a forest by using only a straightened path or rescue a drowning person without getting both his legs wet.




331、地廣而不德者國危，兵強而凌敵者身亡。虎兕①

相搏，而螻蟻得志；兩敵相機，而匹夫乘閑。是以聖

王見利慮害，見遠存近。


【註釋】①兕：音sì／ㄙˋ。古代獸名。一說兕就是

雌犀。

【白話】土地廣闊而不實行德政，國家就會有危險；

兵力強大而侵犯他國，自身就會滅亡。猛虎和兕相互

搏鬥，螻蛄和螞蟻就會得志；兩個對手相互抗爭，平

庸之輩就會有機可乘。因此，聖明的君主，看到有利

的一面，還會考慮有害的一面；既會考慮未來，也會

注意眼前的形勢。

331. A vast territory without a good government will place the country in danger. A powerful army that invades other countries will meet with its demise. When ferocious tigers fight among themselves, mole crickets and ants will emerge as the eventual winners. So an unaccomplished third party would triumph when two competitive parties

463

are involved in bitter rivalries. Hence a brilliant ruler would observe the positive side of any action and weigh the risks and dangers involved. He will be well prepared for the future besides being alert of the present situation.




332、服一綵①，則念女功之勞；御②一穀，則恤農夫

之勤；決不聽之獄③，則懼刑之不中；進一士之爵，

則恐官之失賢；賞毫氂之善，必有所勸④；罰纖芥之

惡，必有所沮⑤。


【註釋】①綵：光色；花紋。②御：進食；食用。

③不聽之獄：沒有定罪的案子。不聽，不定罪。

④勸：勉勵。⑤沮：阻止；終止。

【白話】穿上一件彩服，就想到織女的辛勞；吃一粒

米，就體恤農夫勞作的不易；判決一件還沒有定罪的

案子，就擔心用刑是否適當；晉升一個爵位，就思考

自己是否用人失賢；對一個極小善舉的賞賜，一定要

能起到勸勉人們向善的作用；對一個極微惡行進行處

罰，也一定起要到警戒世人不敢作惡的功效。

465

332. When one puts on a bright and colorful silk garment, he should appreciate the hard work done by the female weavers. When one eats a grain of rice, he should appreciate the hard work of the farmers. Before deciding on the sentence of a prosecution case, be wary of whether the sentence given fits the crime. When awarding a promotion, beware if any worthy individuals have been left out. Every reward given to even a small act of kindness must inspire people to become better persons. Every punishment given to even a small crime must serve as a grave warning to the people not to commit wrongdoings.




六、慎始終

Exercising Caution from the Beginning to the End

333、事者難成而易敗也，名者難立而易廢也。千

里之堤，以螻蟻之穴漏；百尋①之屋，以突②隙之煙

焚。突，灶突也。


【註釋】①百尋：形容極高或極長。尋，古制八尺為

一尋。②突：煙囪。

【白話】事情不易成就卻容易失敗，名聲不易樹立卻

容易摧毀。千里大堤，會因螻蟻之穴而發生滲漏；百

尋高樓，會因煙囪縫隙冒出的火星而焚毀。

333. It is not always easy to accomplish a task, and failures are not uncommon. Reputations are difficult to establish but can be easily brought down. An imposing thousand-mile-long embankment will leak because of some small holes bored by mole crickets and ants, and a tall mansion can be burnt down by a few sparks of fire from the chimney.


467

334、慎厥終，惟其始。靡不有初，鮮克有終。故戒慎終如其始也。

殖①有禮，覆昏暴。有禮者封殖之。昏暴者覆亡之。欽②崇天道，

永保天命。王者如此上事。則敬天安命之道也。


【註釋】①殖：樹立。引申為扶植勢力；培養人

才。②欽：敬。

【白話】慎重地結束一件事要如開始時一樣戰戰兢

兢。對符合禮義的事情大為扶持，對昏亂凶惡的事要

嚴懲禁絕。敬奉上天的意志，才可永保上天賦予的使

命。

334. Start and finish a project with the same degree of caution. Support causes that comply with propriety and punish immoral and violent criminals severely. Only by respecting the will of heaven can one implement the mission entrusted by heaven.

Scroll 2: Shang Shu



335、無安厥位，惟危。言當常自危懼。以保其位也。慎終於始。於始慮終。於終慮始。


【白話】不要自安於天子之位，要想到其危險。慎重

地考慮到後果，從開頭就要小心謹慎啊！

335. Do not for one moment think that the throne will shield a ruler from danger, but be mindful of the danger that this position will bring. Thorough and cautious plannings must be done right from the beginning.

Scroll 2: Shang Shu

469

336、能長保國者，能終善者也。諸侯並立，能終善

者為長；列士並立，能終善者為師。


【白話】能夠保持國家長久者，是能自始至終行善政

的人。諸侯並立於世，自始至終能行善政者可為首

領；眾多士人並立於朝，自始至終能行善事者可以為

師。

336. A virtuous ruler is one who can reign long and prosperous by running an ethical government from the beginning till the end. Among the lords who are equal in status, the one who can administer an ethical government will emerge as the leader. Among all the ministers in the imperial palace, the one who can maintain virtuous practices from the beginning till the end will emerge as the teacher.

Scroll 33: Yan Zi



337、勞謙君子，有終，吉。勞謙匪懈。是以吉也。


【白話】有功勞而且懂得謙虛的君子，能夠保持謙德

至終，凡事都會吉利。

337. A man of noble character (Junzi) makes great contributions, and yet he remains humble. He will maintain this virtue until the end and enjoy good fortune along the way.

Scroll 1: Zhou Yi

471

七、養生

Maintaining Good Health

338、目之所好，不可從也；耳之所樂，不可不慎（本書不慎作順一字）也；鼻之所喜，不可任也；口之所

嗜，不可隨也；心之所欲，不可恣也。故惑目者，

必逸容 ①鮮藻 ②也；惑耳者，必妍音淫聲也；

惑鼻者，必芷蕙③芬馥④也；惑口者，必珍羞⑤嘉旨 ⑥也；惑心者，必勢利功名也。五者畢惑，則或承之

禍，為身患者，不亦信哉？是以其抑情也，劇乎隄防

之備決；其御性也，過乎腐轡⑦之乘奔。故能內保永

年，外免舋⑧累也。


【註釋】①逸容：猶美貌。②鮮藻：華麗的裝飾。

③芷蕙：皆香草名。《抱朴子》通行本作「茝蕙」

，茝亦香草名。④芬馥：香氣濃郁。⑤珍羞：亦作

「珍饈」，珍美的肴饌。⑥嘉旨：指美酒佳餚。

⑦轡：音p è i／ㄆㄟˋ。駕馭馬的韁繩。⑧舋：

音xìn／ㄒㄧㄣˋ。罪過；過失。

【白話】眼所喜歡看的，不可依從；耳所喜歡聽的，

不可順應；鼻所喜歡聞的，不可放任；口所喜歡吃

的，不可隨順；心所貪求的，不可恣意放肆。所以迷



惑眼睛的，必是美貌華飾；迷惑耳朵的，必是豔歌俗

曲、靡靡之音；迷惑鼻子的，必是芬芳馥鬱的香味；

迷惑口舌的，必是珍饈佳餚；迷惑心靈的，必是權勢

利祿與功名。五者全都被迷惑，就可能要遭遇災禍、

危害生命，這不是確信無疑的嗎？因此他們抑制自己

的欲望，比預防堤防崩潰還更認真嚴肅；他們制約自

己的秉性，比用腐朽的繩索套著奔馬還更小心翼翼。

所以內則能保持長壽，外則免除世上的禍患。

338. What the eyes love to see do not follow; what the ears love to hear do not comply; what the nose loves to smell do not indulge; what the mouth loves to taste do not pursue; what the heart desires do not gratify. That which can enchant the eyes are beauty and splendors; that which can enchant the ears are sensual songs and decadent music; that which can enchant the nose are sweet smelling fragrance; that which can enchant the mouth are exotic food and delicacies; that which can enchant the heart are power, money and position. When all the five senses are enchanted, one will most likely confront disasters and life threatening danger. Do you

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not believe in this? Thus there are people who would restrain their desires more seriously than they would prevent a dike from collapsing; and there are people who would control their characters more vigilantly than they would use a rotten rein to control a galloping horse. On a personal level this approach will secure a longer lifespan for an individual, and on a social level this approach will protect a person from misfortune.




339、夫酒醴之近味，生病之毒物，無豪鋒之細益，

有丘山之巨損。


【白話】酒類近似於美味，卻都是致病的毒藥，無絲

毫的好處，卻有像山一樣大的損害。

339. Although alcoholic drinks are enticing they are nevertheless illness-inducing toxics. They are not beneficial to health and the damages they cause are as enormous as a mountain.



一、邪正

Good or Evil

340、夫邪正之人，不宜共國①，亦猶冰炭不可同器。


【註釋】①共國：同治國事。

【白話】邪惡與正義的人，是不適合共理國事的，

就好比冰和炭不能放在同一個容器中一樣。

340. Wicked men and righteous men cannot work together to govern a country, just like ice and charcoal cannot be placed in the same container.


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341、君子非義（義上有仁字，下同）無以生，失義則失其所

以生；小人非嗜欲無以活，失嗜欲則失其所以活。

故君子懼失義，小人懼失利。觀其所懼，知居（居作各）

殊矣。


【白話】君子若沒有仁義就不能生存，失去仁義就等

於失去生存的基礎；小人若沒有嗜欲就不能生活，

失掉嗜欲也就失去了他生活的依託。所以君子擔心失

去仁義，而小人害怕失去利益。觀察他們所擔心的，

就能看出君子與小人的不同。

341. A man of noble character (Junzi) cannot live without honor30; losing it would be like losing the fundamental reason to live. A scoundrel cannot live without desires; losing them would be like losing the means to survive. Thus, a Junzi worries about losing his benevolence and righteousness whereas a scoundrel worries about losing his benefits. By observing what they fear, we can discern the difference between a Junzi and a scoundrel.

Scroll 41: Huai Nan Zi30 For a Junzi, the notion of “honor” would contain characteristics of benevolence and righteousness.

Good or Evil


二、人情

Human Sentiments

342、自古有國有家者，咸欲修德政以比隆①盛世，至

於其治，多不馨香。非無忠臣賢佐，闇於治體②也，

由主不勝③其情，弗能用耳。夫人情憚難而趣④易，

好同而惡異，與治道相反。

（卷二十七　吳志上）

【註釋】①比隆：同等興盛。②治體：治國的綱領、

要旨。③不勝：制伏不住。④趣：趨向，歸向。

【白話】自古以來有國的諸侯、有家的卿大夫，都想

實施德政來達到與古代盛世同樣的興盛，但是他們

治理的成果，大多都不美好。這不是因為沒有忠誠賢

明的輔臣，以及不懂得治國的要領，而是由於君主不

能克制自己的私情，不能任用忠臣及遵從治國正道。

人之常情總是害怕困難而趨向容易，喜好別人贊同而

厭惡異議，這與治國之道剛好相反。

479

342. Since ancient times, feudal lords and ministers had wanted to achieve the glorious accomplishments of past dynasties by using virtuous administration. But the results were often not as ideal as they had expected. This was due not so much to the fact that they had no good ministers to assist them, or that they did not understand the important principles of governing; rather, the failings stemmed from a ruler’s inability to control his personal feelings, and use faithful ministers to serve the country, or follow the right principles of governing. It is normal for people to prefer easy solutions over difficult ones. They love receiving compliments from others but dislike objections. These, in fact, contravene the principles of good rulership.


Human Sentiments


343、夫小臣之欲忠其主也，知愛之而不能去其嫉妒

之心，又安能敬有道，為己願稷契之佐哉。


【白話】那些小臣們想效忠他的君主，只知道偏愛君

主，而不能去掉自己的嫉妒心理，又怎能恭敬有德有

才之人，願意自己成為稷、契這樣的輔佐之臣呢？

343. If the ministers who pledge allegiance to their ruler could serve him with blind dedication but retain jealousy in their hearts, how can they respect and work with virtuous and able people and make themselves the equal of ministers Ji and Qi31?


31 Ji 稷and Qi 契 helped emperors Yao 堯 and Shun 舜 to establish an agrarian econo-my and education system based on regulating relationships between parents and chil-dren, brothers and sisters, husband and wife, superiors and subordinates, and among friends, known collectively as the “five moral relationships”.

481

三、才德

Talents and Virtues

344、釋道而任智者必危，棄數①而用材者必困。


【註釋】①數：道理；規律。

【白話】放棄大道而單憑自己的聰明行事一定會很危

險，拋棄常理而任用才能必然會陷於困境。

344. People who are not bothered with moral values but rely solely on personal resourcefulness to do things will endanger themselves. Those who abandon the law of nature in exercising their talents will end up in a dilemma.


Talents and Virtues


345、弓調而後求勁焉，馬服而後求良焉，士必愨①而

後求智能焉。不愨而多能，譬之豺狼，不可邇也。邇，近也。言人無智能者，雖不愨信，不能為大惡也，不愨信而有智能者，然後乃可畏

也。


【註釋】①愨：音què／ㄑㄩㄝˋ。恭敬謹慎；樸實

忠厚。

【白話】弓調好後才能進一步要求它有勁，馬馴服後

才能要求它成為良馬，讀書人一定要恭謹樸實，然後

才要求他聰明能幹。不恭謹忠厚而又多才多能，就像

豺狼一樣，不可以接近。

345. A bow has to be tuned before it can unleash its power; a horse has to be tamed before it can become a fine horse; a scholar has to learn to humble himself before he can become smart and capable. A disrespectful, insincere and capable person is like a cunning wolf that should be avoided.


483

四、朋黨

Formation of Cliques

346、夫乘權席①勢之人，子弟鱗集②於朝，羽翼陰附

者眾。毀譽將必用，以終乖離之咎。


【註釋】①席：憑藉；倚仗。②鱗集：群集。

【白話】那些倚仗權勢的人，他們的子弟群集於朝

廷，左右黨羽和私下依附的人非常之多。他們必定使

用詆毀和讚譽的手段，最終因背離正道產生災禍。

346. Those who count on powerful connections have their sons and nephews mustered in the imperial court. Forming factions on the left and right, they will have more than a few henchmen secretly assisting them under their wings. They like to use defamation and compliments in achieving their ambition but will eventually end up in disaster, as the righteous way is being compromised.


Formation of Cliques


347、若不篤於至行，而背本逐末，以陷浮華焉，

以成朋黨焉。浮華則有虛偽之累，朋黨①則有彼此之

患。


【註釋】①朋黨：同類的人相互集結成黨派，排除異

己。

【白話】如果不專注於培養高尚的品行，而背離為人

的根本（孝敬仁義），追逐枝末（功名富貴），就會

陷入浮華虛榮，就會結幫成夥。追求浮華就會受虛偽

所累而內心空虛不安，結成團夥則會有彼此牽連的禍

患。

347. If we do not focus on cultivating noble conducts but instead abandon virtues in return for fame and glory, it will make us arrogant and vain, and form factions to meet selfish ends. Vanity will blind us with hypocrisy and make it difficult for us to have peace of mind, while factionalism will directly involve everyone even if only one member is caught committing offenses.


485

五、辨物

Differences that Matter

348、知人者智，能知人好惡是智。自知者明。人能自知賢不肖，是

為反聽無聲，內視無形，故為明也。勝人者有力，能勝人者，不過以威力也。

自勝者強。人能自勝己情欲，則天下無有能與己爭者，故為強也。知足者

富，人能知之為（無之為二字）足，則保福祿，故為富也。強行①者則有

志。人能強力行善，則為有意於道。不失其所者久，人能自節養，不失其

所（所下有受天二字），則可以久也。死而不妄者壽。目不妄視，耳不妄聽，

口不妄語，則無怨惡於天下，故長壽也。


【註釋】①強行：勤勉力行。

【白話】能夠了解別人是有智慧，能夠了解自己才算

明白。能夠戰勝別人是有力量，能夠戰勝自己的欲

望、習氣才算強大。知足就是真正的富有，努力行善

就是有志。所作所為不離開自己本性的才能持久，

身死而精神長存的才是真正的長壽。



348. Understanding others is wisdom. Understanding ourselves is enlightenment. To conquer others is power; to conquer ourselves is deemed formidable. One who knows contentment is wealthy; one who strives to perform kind deeds is purposeful. One who acts according to his innate kindness shall prevail. The physical self may die but the spiritual self lives on, and that is true longevity.

Scroll 34: Laozi

487

349、耳不聽五聲①之和為聾，目不別五色②之章③為

昧，心不則德義之經為頑，口不道忠信之言為嚚④。


【註釋】①五聲：指宮、商、角、徵、羽五音。②五

色：青、赤、白、黑、黃五種顏色。古代以此五者為

正色。③章：彩色；花紋。④嚚：音yín／ㄧㄣˊ。

奸詐。

【白話】耳朵聽不清五聲的唱和是聽覺失靈，眼睛辨

不明五色的花紋是視覺模糊，心裡不效法德義的準則

是頑劣，嘴裡不說忠信的話是奸詐。

349. Our hearing is impaired if we cannot distinguish the melody produced by the five tones32, and our vision is blurred if our eyes cannot distinguish the five colors33. We are said to be stubborn if our mind refuses to follow the code of virtuous conduct. We are deemed a liar if we do not speak trustworthy words.

Scroll 4: Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan, Vol. 132 Pentatonic scale33 The five colors are green, red, white, black and yellow.



350、所謂為善者，靜而無為也；所謂為不善者，

躁而多欲也。


【白話】所謂為善，就是心神寧靜，順應內在的善良

本性和外在的發展形勢，不任意妄為；所謂為不善，

就是浮躁而多欲。

350. To practice what is kind is to attain a state of inner calmness, submiting to the innate kindness that lies within us, and complying with outer circumstances without resorting to acts of arrogance. Doing what is unkind is to be reckless and filled with endless desires.


489

351、有見人之私欲，必以正道矯之者，正人之徒

也；違正而從之者，佞人之徒也。自察其心，斯知佞

正之分矣。


【白話】看到別人有私欲，就用正確的思想去矯正的

人，是正直之人；違背正直之道而順從對方私欲者，

是奸佞之徒。（君主）自己審察他們的內心，就知道

佞人和正人的區別了。

351. Those who see the selfish motives of others and correct them with the right frame of mind are upright individuals. Those who compromise virtues to please the selfish motives of others are treacherous flatterers. If rulers could figure out what the people are thinking, they would be able to discriminate between upright and treacherous men.

Scroll 49: Fu Zi



352、夫物之相類者，世主之所亂惑也；嫌疑①肖象

者，眾人之所眩燿②也。故狠③者類智，而非智也；狠，慢也。愚者類君子（君子作仁一字，下同），而非君子也；戇④

者類勇，而非勇也。


【註釋】①嫌疑：疑惑難辨的事理。②眩燿：迷惑；

迷亂。③狠：當作「狙」，本字為「怚」，驕傲。

④戇：音zhuàng／ㄓㄨㄤˋ。急躁而剛直。

【白話】彼此相似的事物，君王常被迷惑；彼此相像

難以辨別的現象，大眾常被迷亂。所以傲慢自恃的人

看似有智慧，實際上不算智慧（而是獨斷）；愚鈍的

人看似寬厚仁慈，而實際上那不是仁慈（而是懦弱）；

急躁剛直的人看似勇敢，而實際上那不是勇敢（而是

魯莽）。

491

352. Things that look alike can fool a ruler. Matters that appear no different from one another can fool the public. A haughty individual may appear wise but in fact he is not. A naive person may look kind and compassionate but in fact he is not. A reckless person may look courageous but in fact he is not.




353、使人大迷惑者，必物之相似者也。玉人①之所

患，患石之似玉者；賢主之所患，患人博聞辯言而

似通者。通，達。亡國之主似智，亡國之臣似忠。似之

物，此愚者之所大惑，而聖人之所加慮也。思則知之。


【註釋】①玉人：雕琢玉器的工人。

【白話】使人深受迷惑的，一定是相似的事物。玉匠

所擔心的，是與玉相似的石塊；賢明的君主所擔心

的，是那些表面上見聞廣博、能言善辯，很像是通達

治國之道的人。使國家敗亡的君主看似聰慧，使國家

敗亡的臣子看似忠誠。這些相似的事物，是愚者十分

迷惑的，卻是聖人多加思慮的。

353. Things that look similar can often confuse one’s judgment. What a jade craftsman usually worries about is that he might mistake stones that look like jade to be genuine jade, while what wise rulers worry about is that they might mistake an officer who appears knowledgeable and eloquent to be someone

493

skillful in governing. A ruler who brings his country to ruin may look wise, while ministers who ruin a country may look honest and faithful. These similarities might confuse unwise people but not the sages who would remain watchful over them.




354、夫美（美疑業）大者深而難明，利長者不可以倉卒①

形②也，故難明長利之事廢於世。


【註釋】①倉卒：亦作「倉猝」，匆忙急迫，此處指

短時間內。②形：流露；顯示。

【白話】真正美好的謀略因為道理太深而難以闡明，

真正長遠的利益很難在短時間內顯現，所以難於闡明

而有長遠利益的事往往就被世人廢棄了。

354. It is not easy to clarify a strategic plan that has profound wisdom, and it is also difficult to foresee the long-term effects of something beneficial. Thus, long-term benefits that are hard to clarify are often ignored.


495

355、吾觀其吏，暴虐殘賊，敗法亂刑而上下不覺，

此亡國之時也。夫上好貨①，群臣好得，而賢者逃伏②

，其亂至矣。


【註釋】①好貨：貪愛財物。貨，財物，金錢珠玉布

帛的總稱。②逃伏：逃亡隱匿。

【白話】我觀察他的官吏，凶狠殘忍，敗壞法紀，

亂施刑罰，而君臣上下還執迷不悟，這是該亡國的時

候了。君主貪愛財物，群臣貪得利益，而賢者紛紛逃

避隱藏，國家的混亂已經到了。

355. “I observed the behavior of his officials and found that they were cruel and brutal. They violated the legal procedures and imposed punishments indiscriminately. If the rulers and ministers remain oblivious to this madness, it is time for this administration to come to an end. As rulers are greedy for material wealth and officials are greedy for profits, men of virtues will go into hiding. This phenomenon signifies that the country will soon be overcome by chaos and disorder.”

Scroll 31: Liu Tao



六、因果

Cause and Effect

356、山致其高，而雲雨起焉。水致其深，而蛟龍生

焉。君子致其道，而德澤流焉。夫有陰德①者，必有

陽報②。有隱行③者，必有昭名。


【註釋】①陰德：暗中做的有德於人的事。②陽報：

顯明的報應。③隱行：猶陰德，謂不為人知的美行。

【白話】山達到了一定的高度，就會興起雲雨。水達

到了一定的深度，就會有蛟龍出沒。君子達到了高尚

的道德修養，其仁德恩惠就會流布四方。暗中施恩於

人的人，一定會得到明顯的回報。有人所不知的高尚

品行的人，日後一定會有顯著的名聲。

356. When mountains surpass a certain level of height, clouds and rain will hover over them. When water runs deep, the rain dragon will roam about. When a man of noble character (Junzi) has achieved high attainments in his cultivation, his benevolence and compassion will spread to the four corners of the world. Those who do kind deeds unassumingly will reap apparent rewards, and those who have hidden virtues will enjoy remarkable reputation over time.

Scroll 35: Wen Zi

497

357、蓋德厚者報美，怨大者禍深。故曰，德莫大於

仁，而禍莫大於刻。


【白話】道德深厚的人一定會獲得吉祥美好的回報，

與人結怨太多的人，一定會招來深重的禍患。所以

說，沒有比仁慈更大的美德，沒有比苛刻更大的禍

患。

357. People who are virtuous will be blessed with good and auspicious fortune. People who made enemies with others will suffer untold consequences. Thus, no other virtues can replace benevolence, and no other misfortunes can be worse than ruthlessness.

Scroll 42: Xin Xu

Cause and Effect


358、詩曰：「下民之孽①，匪降自天。僔遝②背憎③，

職競④由人。」


【註釋】①孽：災害，災禍。②僔遝：音zǔn tà／ㄗ

ㄨㄣˇ ㄊㄚˋ。謂相聚面語。僔，聚。遝，通「沓」。

紛多聚積。③背憎：謂背地裡憎恨。④職競：職，

只。競，爭。後遂以「職競」用為專事競逐之意。

【白話】《詩經》上說：「百姓遭受的災難，不是老

天降下的。當面說說笑笑，背後憎恨攻擊，這完全是

人們互相爭鬥造成的。」

358. According to the book of Shi Jing: “The disasters suffered by the civilians were not cast upon them from heaven. People might talk pleasantly in front of each other, but behind their backs, they tried all means to bring down one another due to resentment. Thus mutual rivalries were the major cause of all disasters.”


499

359、和氣致祥，乖氣①致異。祥多者其國安，異②眾

者其國危。


【註釋】①乖氣：邪惡之氣；不祥之氣。②異：怪異

不祥之事；災異。

【白話】賢臣在位齊心效力的和諧氣氛感召吉祥，

奸臣當道排擠忠良的不和氣氛招致災異。祥瑞多國家

就安定，災異多國家就危難。

359. When wise and competent ministers work together, harmony will prevail, leaving an air of auspiciousness. When treacherous officials are in power, abnormal phenomena will prevail, courting calamities to strike. When auspiciousness is prolonged, the nation will enjoy peace and stability. When too many strange disasters continue to strike, the fate of the nation will be at stake.


Cause and Effect


360、及至後世，淫泆衰微，諸侯背叛，廢德教而任

刑罰。刑罰不中①，則生邪氣，邪氣積於下，怨惡蓄

於上，上下不和，陰陽繆戾②，而妖孽③生矣。此災

異所緣而起也。


【註釋】①不中：不適合，不適當。②繆戾：錯亂，

違背。③妖孽：指物類反常的現象，不祥之兆。

【白話】到了後世，君王恣意逸樂，王道衰敗，諸侯

背叛，廢棄道德教化而任用刑罰。刑罰使用不恰當，

就會產生邪惡不良的風氣，邪惡風氣聚集於下，怨恨

憎惡蓄積於上，上下不和，陰陽錯亂，那麼怪異凶惡

的事物或預兆就會產生。這就是天災人禍發生的原

因。

501

360. Toward the end of any declining dynasty, the rulers indulged in licentious pleasures and degraded the Way of the sage-rulers. The lords revolted, neglected moral teachings and abused corporal punishment. If punishment was not fair, social ills would arise and cause immoral practices to gather momentum, while hostilities and hatred accumulated over time and there were mass discords between the upper and lower societies. The balance of the Yin and Yang energies was disrupted and a lot of abnormal and menacing phenomena would appear as a result. These are, in fact, the causes and effects of natural and man-made disasters.


Cause and Effect

503

Glossary*

Bao Pu Zi Bao Pu Zi 抱朴子 was written in the Eastern Jin dynasty (317–420) by Ge Hong 葛洪. He was a believer of Daoism and a medical specialist, and practiced the skill of making pills for immortality.

Chang Yan Chang Yan 昌言 contains the frank and open advice given by Zhongchangzi 仲長子. Zhongchangzi promotes propriety, righteousness, integrity and moral shame. He advises rulers to deploy able and virtuous people and advocates the adherence to strict laws. The book, which is also known as 仲長子昌言 (The Frank Advice of Zhong Chang Zi), mainly discusses how a ruler can rule a country properly. This entire book was still preserved during the Song dynasty (960–1279), but now it no longer exists in its entirety.

Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan 春秋左氏傳 (Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals) or Zuo Zhuan左傳 is sometimes known as the Chronicle of Zuo. It is among the earliest Chinese works of narrative history and covers the period from 770–476 BC. It is one of the three commentaries to the Spring and Autumn Annals. Zuo Zhuan was traditionally attributed to Zuo Qiuming 左丘明from Lu (state) at the end of the Spring and Autumn period** (770–476 BC), but the actual compiling time was the mid-Warring States period (475–221 BC).

Dian Yu The author of Dian Yu 典語 (Political Discourse) is Lu Jing 陸景(250–281). Lu Jing lived for only thirty-one years but he wrote many books, all of which were lost except Dian Yu. This book discusses politics and stresses on paying high salaries to government officials to eradicate corruption.

*The references are primarily from wikipedia.org, chinaculture.org, and chinaknowledge.org websites, and Lu et al., Qunshu Zhiyao Kaoyi.

**The Spring and Autumn Period starts from 770 BC when King Ping of Zhou 周平王 moved the capital of Zhou dynasty east from Haojing 鎬京 to Luoyi 洛邑 and ends at 476 BC when the States of Han 韓國, Wei 魏國 and Zhao 趙國 divided the Jin 晉國 territory between themselves (known as the “Three Jin Territories” or “The Partition of the Jin State”, the watershed between the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period.)

504 Qunshu Zhiyao 360 Vol. 2Fu Zi Fu Zi 傅子 was written by Fu Xuan 傅玄, who was from the Western Jin dynasty (265–317). His book mentions that nature goes according to the flow of Qi 氣. Generally, Fu Xuan criticizes the existence of gods and mysteries. He proposes that the majority of the people should become farmers rather than scholars, businessmen, and laborers.

Guan Zi Guan Zi 管子discusses Legalism, Confucianism, Daoism, as well as military and agricultural aspects. Its abundance of historical information brings about great research value. It is said that the book was produced by Guan Zhong 管仲, who lived in the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). However, the existing Guan Zi, which was compiled by Liu Xiang 劉向 of the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–9 AD), only has seventy-six remaining chapters. Its contents are classified into eight categories.

Han Shi Wai ZhuanHan Shi Wai Zhuan 韓詩外傳 is sometimes translated as Illustrations of the Didactic Application of the Classic of Songs by Han Ying 韓嬰. It is a commentary and complement to the Shi Jing 詩經(Book of Odes) by Han Ying.

Han ShuHan Shu 漢書is sometimes translated as the History of the [Former] Han Dynasty or Book of Han. It offers a detailed history of the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–9 AD), and biographies of many individual figures help to supplement the historical facts. Han Shu has 100 chapters. The author, Ban Gu 班固, started to write Han Shu based on Hou Zhuan後傳(Later Traditions) written by his father Ban Biao 班彪, but Ban Gu died and left the book unfinished in 92 AD. Ban Gu’s sister Ban Zhao 班昭continued working on it. It is regarded as one of the Four Histories 四史of the Twenty-Four Histories二十四史 canon.

Han ZiHan Zi 韓子 is also known as Han Fei Zi韓非子. It is the work of Han Fei 韓非 (280–233 BC), who was a great master of the Legalist school during the Warring States period (475–221 BC), and was the disciple of Xunzi 荀子. Han Fei inherited the theory from his teacher Xunzi, which says human nature is evil, and proposed to govern a country with punishment and reward.

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Hou Han ShuHou Han Shu 後漢書, which is also translated as History of the Later Han Dynasty or Book of the Later Han, is a second work after Han Shu. The book covers the history of the Eastern Han period (25–220), and was compiled in the 5th century by Fan Ye 范曄(398–445). Like the Han Shu, Hou Han Shu is part of the early four historiographies of the Twenty-Four Histories canon.

Huai Nan ZiHuai Nan Zi 淮南子was compiled by Western Han dynasty’s (206 BC–9 AD) Liu An 劉安 and some of the people who visited and stayed with him. It is also known as Huai Nan Hong Lie 淮南鸿烈. The writings exemplify Daoist thinking of the highest level, although it should be noted that the book also combines Confucianism, Legalist thinking, ideas of Yin and Yang, as well as the Five Elements. It also records many legends and fairytales.

Jin ShuJin Shu 晉書 is one of the official Chinese historical works. It covers the history of the Jin dynasty from 265 to 420. It was written by a number of officials who were commissioned by the court of the Tang dynasty (618–907). The lead editor was the prime minister Fang Xuanling 房玄齡. Jin Shu draws mostly from the official documents in earlier archives. The book also includes the history of the Sixteen Kingdoms which were contemporaneous with Eastern Jin (317–420). Several essays in the biographical volume were composed by Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty.

Kong Zi Jia YuKong Zi Jia Yu 孔子家語 is sometimes known as the Familiar Discourses of Confucius. It is a book of famous sayings by Confucius compiled by Wang Su 王肅.Lao ZiLao Zi 老子 (also known as Dao De Jing 道德經) is a Daoist philosophical work written in verse. The book has 81 chapters and is divided into two parts, namely Dao (the Way) and De (virtues). It is regarded as the greatest classic of Daoism.

Li JiLi Ji 禮記 is variously translated as the Record of Rites, Classic of Rites, Book of Rites, or Book of Customs. It was one of the Wu Jing 五經 (Five Classics). It describes the social forms, governmental system, and ancient/ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty (1046–

506 Qunshu Zhiyao 360 Vol. 2256 BC). The original text is believed to have been compiled by Confucius himself, but sadly, many Confucian classics (including this book) were destroyed during the rule of Qin Shi Huang 秦始皇,the “First Emperor of Qin dynasty” (221–206 BC). Hence, the edition usually referred to today was edited and reworked by various scholars during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), including Dai De 戴德 (also called Senior Dai), who reworked the text in the 1st Century BC, and his younger brother Dai Sheng 戴聖 (Junior Dai). The Record of Rites known today is attributed to Dai Sheng.

Lie Zi Lie Zi 列子 is an eight-volume book based on the compilation of ideas from many books. Lie Zi discusses politics, economics, military matters, philosophy, customs, and the natural sciences.

Liu TaoLiu Tao 六韜, or the Six Strategies, is a famous book on the art of war in ancient China. It consists of 6 chapters and 60 articles in total, and it is the longest work on military strategies during the pre-Qin days (before 221 BC). After the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–9 AD), Liu Tao began to spread widely. After the Tang dynasty (618–907), militarists often quoted from Liu Tao. It was regarded as the indispensable book for militarists in the Song dynasty (960–1279).

Liu Yi Zheng Lun Liu Yi Zheng Lun 劉廙政論can be translated as Political Treatise by Liu Yi. This five scroll book only has eight chapters left at present.

Lü Shi Chun QiuLü Shi Chun Qiu 呂氏春秋, also known as Spring and Autumn Annals of Premier Lü Bu Wei, is an encyclopedic Chinese classic compiled around 239 BC under the patronage of Chancellor Lü Buwei 吕不韋of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). Its content is wide-ranging and includes Confucianism, Daoism, as well as musical, military and agricultural aspects. It is an important reference for the research on the history of the early state of Qin. It is known for its collection of anecdotes.

Lun YuLun Yu 論語 (Analects of Confucius) was written by the disciples of Confucius during the Spring and Autumn period through to the Warring States period (475–221 BC). The Analects records the words and acts of Confucius and his disciples as well as the

507discussions they held. It offers the essential material for studying Confucianism. The chapters in the Analects are grouped by individual themes.

Mao ShiMao Shi 毛詩 (Classic of Poetry—Mao’s Edition), is also called Shi Jing 詩經 or the Classic of Poetry, Book of Songs, Book of Odes, or sometimes known simply by its original name, The Odes. It is the earliest existing collection of Chinese poems and songs. It comprises 305 poems and songs, with many ranging from 10–7 BC. As with all great literary works of ancient China, Shi Jing has been annotated and commented on numerous times throughout history. The annotations by the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) scholar Mao Heng 毛亨and his nephew Mao Chang 毛萇are most well- known and are considered authoritative.

Meng ZiThe main content of Meng Zi 孟子(Book of Mencius) is the sayings of Mengzi or Mencius 孟子and his disciples. Mencius proposed a theory of virtuous benevolence. He believes that humans are born with four moral characters: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. Humans would lose these moral characters if they did not maintain or develop them through practice. Hence, he insists that people pay attention to inner cultivation. Mencius proposed to engage benevolence to gain the allegiance of other countries instead of war.

Mo ZiMozi 墨子was the founder of the Mohist School. He lived in the state of Lu 魯國, between the late Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) and the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Mozi thinks that Confucianism centers too much on proprieties. He believes in serving the interests of others by greatly sacrificing oneself. Further, he opposes invasion and war. The book Mo Zi is a philosophical text compiled by Mohists based on Mozi’s thoughts.

Qian Fu LunQian Fu Lun 潛夫論(Comments of a Recluse) was written by Wang Fu 王符 during the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220). The work was named as such to hide his identity from the public. Wang Fu criticized the contemporary government and revealed the misconduct of government officials, including their extravagance and oppression of the people.


San Lüe San Lüe 三略 (Three Strategies) is divided into three parts: Shang Lüe 上略, Zhong Lüe 中略, and Xia Lüe 下略. The first two parts quote from military writings of the past, Jun Chen 軍讖(Military Prophecies) and Jun Shi 軍勢(Military Power) and elaborates them, while the third part is the author’s own discussion. Some attribute the work to Huang Shigong 黃石公, but in recent research, it is said that this book was written by an anonymous person between the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD).

Shang Shu Shang Shu 尚書 (Classic of History) or Shu Jing 書經 is a compilation of documentary records related to events in ancient Chinese history. Other translated titles of the book include Classic of Documents, Book of History, or Book of Documents.

Shen JianShen Jian 申鑒(Mirrors of the Past, Lessons for the Future) was written by Xun Yue 荀悦. Xun Yue was a politician and historian from the late Eastern Han dynasty (25–220) who advocated Confucianism. The book Shen Jian, which is divided into five chapters, uses historical examples as advice on how to rule a country. It emphasizes benevolence and righteousness as the moral foundation of human beings.

Shen ZiShen Zi 慎子is a legalist text by Shen Dao 慎到(395–315 BC) from the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Shen Dao believes in the use of law to govern a country.

Shi Ji Shi Ji史記 (Records of History or Records of the Grand Historian), written from 109–91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian 司馬遷. Sima Qian recounted Chinese history from the time of the Emperor Huang (2600 BC) until Sima Qian’s own time, the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–9 AD) under the reign of Emperor Wu of Han dynasty 漢武帝. It covers more than 3,000 years of Chinese history, and is divided into 130 scrolls. When compiling this book, Sima Qian consulted a wealth of literatures as well as archives and ancient books written by ordinary people. Interviews and field investigations were also employed to ensure the accuracy of the content. As the first systematic text on the history of ancient China, Shi Ji profoundly influenced Chinese historiography and prose.

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Shi Zi The book Shi Zi 尸子was authored by Shi Jiao 尸佼 (390–330 BC) who lived in the state of Jin during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Legend says that he was the teacher of Shang Yang 商鞅.

Shu ZhiSan Guo Zhi 三國志(Records of the Three Kingdoms) is a sixty-five volume historical record on the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu (220–265). San Guo Zhi is divided into three books, and Shu Zhi 蜀志(Book of Shu or Collected Biographies of the Kingdom of Shu) is one of them. Shu Zhi contains 15 volumes. San Guo Zhi records the important figures of that period. The histories of the ethnic minorities in China and those of the neighboring countries are also included. It was written mainly as a series of biographies by Chen Shou 陳壽during the Jin dynasty, (265–420) and was annotated by Pei Song Zhi 裴松之 in Song (state) of the Southern dynasty (420–589).

Shuo YuanShuo Yuan 說苑 (The Garden of Stories) was written by Liu Xiang 劉向 during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–9 AD). It contains anecdotes from the ancient Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) to the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), with arguments to publicize political thoughts, ethics, and morality propounded by Confucianism.

Si Ma FaSi Ma Fa 司馬法 (The Methods of Sima) is a book of military systems from ancient times. It summarizes the use of proprieties to manage the army during the Shang (1600–1046 BC) and Zhou dynasties (1046–256 BC).

Sun Qing ZiSun Qing Zi 孫卿子was also known as Xun Kuang 荀况or Xunzi 荀子. He was a famous philosopher and educator from the state of Zhao during the late Warring States period (475–221 BC). The work Sun Qing Zi revolves around nature, understanding knowledge, logical thoughts, ethical management, and how to rule a country.

Sun ZiSun Zi孫子or Sun Zi Bing Fa 孫子兵法 (Sun Zi’s Art of War) is the world’s earliest military book extant in China. After the Song dynasty (960–1279), it was listed as the first book of the Seven Military Classics. This book was written by Sun Wu 孫武at the end of the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). It has thirteen

510 Qunshu Zhiyao 360 Vol. 2articles in total.

Ti LunTi Lun 體論 (A Discourse on the Nature of Being) was written by Du Shu 杜恕. There are altogether eight chapters in this book. In Ti Lun, Du Shu describes how to use proprieties in the five moral relationships and in politics.

Wei ZhiWei Zhi 魏志(Book of Wei or Collected Biographies of the Kingdom of Wei) is from San Guo Zhi 三國志(Records of the Three Kingdoms). Wei Zhi consists of thirty volumes.

Wen ZiWen Zi 文子 has twelve volumes and elucidates the doctrine of Daoism. This book is believed to be written around the middle to late Warring States period (475–221 BC).

Wu Yue Chun QiuWu Yue Chun Qiu 吳越春秋 (Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue) is a historical record of the states of Wu and Yue during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), and is attributed to Zhao Ye 趙曄.

Wu ZhiWu Zhi 吳志 (Book of Wu or Collected Biographies of the Kingdom of Wu), is also from San Guo Zhi 三國志 (Records of the Three Kingdoms). It consists of twenty volumes.

Wu ZiWu Zi 吳子 records the discussion of war strategies between the Senior General, Wu Qi 吳起, and the Marquess Wen of Wei 魏文侯and the Marquess Wu of Wei 魏武侯.

Xiao JingXiao Jing 孝經 (Doctrine of Filial Piety), is also known as the Classic of Filial Piety. It is a Confucian classic giving advice on filial piety. This document probably dates back to 400 BC. Its true authorship is unknown, although the work is often attributed to one of Confucius disciple named Zengzi 曾子, who recorded the conversations between his teacher Confucius and himself.

511Xin XuXin Xu 新序 (The New Order) was written by Liu Xiang 劉向. Its main theme revolves around a benevolent government, as propounded by Confucianists. Liu Xiang saw the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) weakening, so he wrote Xin Xu to criticize the ruler and to offer advice to government officials. He mocked feudalism and voiced men’s dissatisfaction with a feudal lord. As the focus is on pre-Qin (before 221 BC) experiences, the historical facts were not carefully verified. However, given the frequent use of fables, Xin Xu is of great literary value.

Xin YuThe book Xin Yu 新語(New Commentaries) was written by Lu Jia 陸賈 in the early Han dynasty. However, the title Xin Yu was not given by Lu Jia himself. This book shows Lu Jia’s attempt to help the first emperor of the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), Han Gaozu 漢高祖, summarize the lessons learned from the Qin (221–206 BC) and Han dynasties. The book promotes the use of Dao to govern a country.

Yan Tie LunYan Tie Lun鹽鐵論 (Discourse on Salt and Iron) was written by Huan Kuan 桓寛 during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–9 AD). This ten volume, sixty chapter book records the debates between the Han government and more than sixty virtuous scholars and intellectuals in Chang’an. The main debate was on the state monopole over salt and iron production and distribution in 81 BC, but issues of politics, economy, culture, and military matters were also brought up.

Yan ZiThe book Yan Zi 晏子 was written by Yan Ying 晏婴 from the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). Yan Ying served as a government official for Duke Ling of the state of Qi 齊靈公, Duke Zhuang of Qi 齊莊公 and Duke Jing of Qi 齊景公. Yan Ying encourages the thrifty management of the government. He also believes in reducing punishment and taxes.

Yin MouYin Mou陰謀 (Secret Strategies) is a record of the questions and answers between Jiang Tai Gong 姜太公and King Wu 周武王of Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) with respect to the ways of ruling a country and educating its people.

512 Qunshu Zhiyao 360 Vol. 2Yin Wen ZiYin Wen Zi 尹文子 was written by Yin Wen 尹文 during the Warring States period (475–221 BC) is divided into two parts. This philosophical treatise mainly describes the principles of good politics. Yin Wen said: “If one cannot rule by the principles of Dao, then use the law. If laws do not work, use tactics. If tactics fail, use authority. Finally, if authority has no effect, use force/influence.”

Yu Zi The author of the book Yu Zi鬻子 is uncertain. The book offers thorough knowledge of kind and compassionate governing of a country. The welfare of the people is considered as the priority. Also, Dao is promoted in Yu Zi.

Yuan Zi Zheng Shu Yuan Zi Zheng Shu 袁子正書was written by Yuan Zhun 袁准. Yuan Zhun believes that one has to strike a balance between virtues and laws when ruling a country.

Zeng ZiZengzi 曾子, also known as Zeng Sen 曾参 (505–436 BC) was a student of Confucius from the state of Lu (1042–249 BC). He was famous for his filial piety. The book expounds Zengzi’s thoughts and has 18 chapters.

Zheng Yao LunZheng Yao Lun 政要論(A Discourse on the Importance of Politics)was written by Huan Fan 桓范 from the Three Kingdoms (220–265). This book discusses ways to deploy government officials. Huan Fan believes that a country’s prosperity is dependent on a leader’s humility and receptiveness of the advice given to him.

Zhong LunZhong Lun 中論 (A Discourse on the Middle Way) was written by Xu Gan 徐干, a philosopher and poet. He was among the Jian-an-qi-zi 建安七子or the seven famous poets in the late Eastern Han dynasty (25–220) who upheld Confucianism. Xu Gan was against exegetical studies. He believes that righteousness is of primary importance.

Zhou YiZhou Yi 周易 (Book of Changes) or Yi Jing 易經 dates back to 2800–2737 BC, the divinity system developed over time to become the most influential philosophy in the literature and government

513administration of the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC). Later, during the time of Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), Confucius is traditionally said to have written the Shi Yi 十翼, Ten Wings, a group of commentaries on Yi Jing. By the time of Emperor Wu of Han dynasty 漢武帝of the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–9 AD), Shi Yi was often called Yi Zhuan易傳 (Commentary on the Yi Jing).


Bibliography

BooksLi, Bing Nan. Lunyu Jiang Yao [An Explanation on the Main Points of Analects.] Taiwan: Fufong Press, 2009.

Littlejohn, Ronnie and Jeffrey Dippmann ed. Riding the Wind with Liezi: New Perspectives on the Daoist Classic. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2011.

Lu, Xiaozu and Zhao, Baoyu and Zhang,Yaowu. Qunshu Zhiyao Kaoyi [Investigations of Discrepancies on Qunshu Zhiyao.] China: Unity Press, 2011.

E-BooksEno, Robert. trans. The Analects of Confucius: An Online Teaching Translation. version 2.0, 2010. ebook. http://www.indiana. edu/~p374/Analects_of_Confucius_%28Eno-2012%29.pdf (PDF version updated to 2.1).

Legge, James. trans. Confucian Analects. vol. 1, Project Gutenberg ebook, 2009. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4094/4094- h/4094-h.htm.

Giles, Lionels. trans. Attack by Stratagem. Project Chinese Text. http://ctext.org/art-of-war/attack-by-stratagem.

DictionaryHan Dian Chinese Dictionary Online, 漢典 [In Chinese.] http://www.zdic.net/.

Websites“Guanzhong,” Wikipedia, last modified September 18, 2012, http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guan_Zhong.

“Han Fei,” Wikipedia, last modified July 18, 2014, http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Han_Fei. “I Ching,” trans. James Legge, TormodKinnes, http://oaks.nvg.org /re5ra17.html.

“Legalism, Qin Empire and Han Dynasty,” http://www.san.beck.org /EC16-Legalism.html.

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“Liu Tao,” ChinaCulture.Org, http://www1.chinaculture.org/created /2005-07/20/content_70803.htm.

“Sun Tzu The Art of War,” trans. Lionel Giles, http://classics.mit.edu /Tzu/artwar.html.

“Wu Qi,” Wikipedia, last modified June 28, 2014, http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Wu_Qi.

“Xiaohe,” http://history.cultural-china.com/en/47History1920.html.